Through the Winter
by lettermefiction
Summary: Modern Day. Erik is the head of the music school & Christine a clumsy, nervous new teacher in the arts. Will insecurity & fear keep them apart forever? E/C no Raoul as of yet. Really bad description...R&R!
1. Chapter 1

_Crap, crap crap! Stupid, stupid, stupid!!_ The list of profanities shouting through Christine's head grew intense as she flew up the steps of the college, her dark tresses flying behind her as she remembered too late that she forgot her class roster at home in the printer. The first day of school along with her first day of teaching was starting to wear on her before the day had even begun.

Just short of running now, Christine zipped through the hallways of MRU to her classroom, nearly knocking two students down in the process. Once at her desk, she dumped her tote in search of her USB key, hoping that she had saved the roster on the drive. "Aaaah yes! Thank you!" she praised quietly as the small drive fell nicely into her palm. With minutes to spare, she just might save herself some embarrassment on her first day. _Now all that's left is to survive the rest…yikes… _

Christine Daae had been a student at Maple River University long before her teaching career here had ever started. A graphic design student, she threw herself into the work, hoping to learn whatever she could so that she could make up for the time lost trying to "find herself" with the few, okay, several majors she'd attempted in her first years at the university. Luckily, the fates had saved the best for last. Christine was a natural at design, a talent noted early on by her teachers and fellow students. Slowly, the department heads began giving Christine some side work. Logos for upcoming musical productions, the staff letterhead, really any design work that could be done for free for the university. By her last year in the program, she was heading up a team of students doing freelance work for MRU. The success of her academic career prompted the Graphics Department to offer her a staff position, unheard of for a student with no outside experience. And so, Christine moved on from Maple River Graphics Club and into a paid position at the very place she knew and loved so much.

Having had the summer to prepare for this daunting new task, Christine was kicking herself for still finding a way to begin the fall semester feeling more and more inadequate as the minutes ticked by. She could only hope that the students would be forgiving on her first day.

* * *

By lunch, Christine had tripped over herself, dropped her papers, mispronounced 10 students' names and even managed to make up a word in her nervousness. The 45 minute break before her last 2 classes was very much needed.

Slowly walking along the sidewalks to the Notes & Paint Café, the small campus bistro connecting the art and music schools, Christine let out a sigh of relief as she saw Meg loping towards her.

"Hi, Sweets! I can't wait to tell you about my morning! You look exhausted; I thought I heard you tossing around last night, I guess I was right. Was the first half really that bad? Well you look cute, regardless. I'm starving, want to split a panini again?" Meg's rambling was part of her charm and a friendly touch that calmed Christine's anxious nerves a bit. "Sure, hon, let's get the chicken pesto this time. I'll get it, you go find a spot." Feeling a little more at ease with her surroundings, Christine ordered their sandwich and drinks and made her way to their seats outside. As she walked, she noticed Erik De Lorme walking towards the café with beautiful, ginger, Olivia McAdams trotting alongside him. _I will never understand_ that _relationship_, she thought to herself. _What does he see in her, well, besides the obvious? He just doesn't look like the shallow type…_ Her thoughts cut short as she set the tray down at the little table and settled in for Meg's stories that she could see were practically bursting out of her.

"Okay, so you know how I told you that the department was thinking about taking on a hip hop instructor to broaden the course opportunities? Well, he is here and lord, he is certainly not queer! That is the most gorgeous, straight man that I have seen in the dance halls in quite some time!" Meg whistled at the thought. "His name is Ethan, he's from New York and I have already managed to flip my hair and flirt a little since he got here this morning!" She let out a little squeal at her glee. Meg Giry had very good luck with men and, unlike Christine, had no problems with feeling nervous or foolish in front of them. She was bold and blonde, with that perfect dancer's body and cute girlish quirks. She'd been teaching ballet at MRU for 2 years now and had already managed to date most of the "qualified" male teachers on campus. Sometimes Christine wondered how they could be friends and roommates when they were so obviously different.  
"Cute, huh? So have you given him your number yet or are you willing to wait 24 hours before completely pouncing on the new guy?" Meg rolled her eyes at Christine, making her 26 year old self look more like a teenager than the breathtaking beauty that she was.  
"Of course not! How many times have I told you that they have to be the ones to make the first move? You're just supposed to make them salivate while they work up the nerve. I'm betting he'll call by the end of the week, mark my words." And Christine knew it, too. When Meg set her sights on someone, they were at her beck and call within a month, completely in love with her. She could no longer count the number of guys who came and went through the girls' apartment in the matter of a few years, all blissfully enraptured with Meg. The woman was definitely blessed. The jealous thought tug at Christine's heart for a moment before she recovered and told her friend about her own day.

Before long, their time was up and Christine began gathering their empty plates, bidding Meg goodbye as the dancer had to meet a student early before her next class. Christine was refilling her soda, an addictive need for diet coke, when she saw him out of the corner of her eye. There he was again, Erik De Lorme, with that dark hair cropped perfectly atop his head, the chiseled jaw line and flawless nose. His strange mask was the only imperfection she could find on him, even his clothes were classic and masculine, top of the line. Christine's breathing quickened as she watched him, writing in a notebook at the back of the café, sitting across from that woman he had walked over with as she chatted away. She watched as Olivia, obviously perturbed at her uninterested audience, stood up to leave. She waved him goodbye, twittering her fingers only like girls of her character do, and with a swift flip of her hair, sauntered out of the café. Erik acted as if nothing had happened, continuing to write in that thick notebook, his brow creased as if he were deep in thought.

Christine, now so enthralled with his movements, nearly choked on her soda when his eyes suddenly met hers as he looked up from his writing. Realizing that she had been staring this whole time, Christine quickly averted her eyes and bolted away from the soda machine she had been standing at, stumbling out the door. Back in her classroom, she allowed herself to breathe. _Ugh, I'm such a stalker. Jesus, Christine, get a grip!_ Her hands were shaky as she thought back to the man whom she had been silently watching for the last year. Erik had some kind of hold on Christine, this unyielding power to stop her in her tracks and she had yet to even speak to the man! At first, the mask was her mental excuse to observe him, curiosity winning over. But as the months progressed, Christine noticed that her curiosity was not the only thing drawing her to him. Her heart would beat faster as she would see him exiting the buildings, sitting in secluded areas around the art and music buildings. She found that she was attracted to Erik in a way that shocked her, she didn't even really know him! But every day on campus began with the hope that she would see him again, hoping that maybe some day they would speak in passing, even a small acknowledgement from him to let her know that he knew she existed. And here was her answer…if you put your nose where it doesn't belong, he's sure to notice you! Christine shook her head at herself, and with the resolve that she would surely die before interacting with him as a human being, began the first of her last 2 classes for the day.

* * *

_Well, the first day's over, though not really a complete success. I hope Meg's cooking tonight…_ Christine walked out to her car, thankful for the near empty lot so that she could think quietly to herself and get on the road home without worrying about the usually heavy student traffic. Luckily, the drive to her apartment was relatively short, and since she had taken a job at the school, she hadn't needed to move after graduation. Her apartment was large enough for herself and Meg, with windows overlooking the local daycare center where she could usually hear the happy shouts of the children as they played. She loved their small space in this small town, a city busy with mostly students traveling from all over for the well-known music school at MRU.

As Christine relaxed that evening alone in her apartment while Meg was out with a man she'd met over the summer, she thought again about her future here in Maple River. She hoped that sooner or later she would find a reason to settle here other than just her work. The darkness crept across the sky and those familiar tears flowed freely as thoughts of her past and her fears settled in for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

He jolted awake at the sound of his alarm. _Make it stop, _he groaned to himself. Erik De Lorme had long since accepted the fact that sleep was not his friend. His nights usually consisted of tossing and turning or playing the piano instead until his fingers cramped. But tonight was not a usual night. Tonight he dreamt of _her_. His cruel fantasy that kept taunting him week after week, conjuring up scenarios involving that one woman he so desperately wished to seek out. Seek out or forget. _With this face, to forget is the most foreseeable option_, he thought. Surely keeping company with a beautiful, confident soprano constantly vying for his attentions would keep him occupied? At times, the shallow confidant proved effective, if only for a while. But mostly, Olivia's whiney complaints and snobbish attitude only heightened his need for someone real. Someone worth knowing and possibly even worth loving.

Erik thought that once Christine Daae had graduated, she would take all of his anxiety with her. _Oh no, that would be too easy_, he laughed grimly to himself. _When I'm involved, the unlucky hand always wins out_. MRU was only too happy to offer her a position on staff…in the arts…near him.

_He could remember the first moment he saw her. Sprawled out on the grass in front of the Art building, leaning on one arm while the other sketched ideas in a notebook. The sun had touched her hair so perfectly that day, making her long chocolate curls look auburn and her skin flawless porcelain. He could still feel the pull, being so intrigued by this simple being that seemed to call out to him in some way, so much so that he nearly lost his footing on his way into his office. He remembered feeling foolish after that, imagining such emotions with someone he'd never met and a student at that!_

_Erik had seen her only a few times after that first day. He'd heard of her growing popularity amongst the graphics teachers, but was glad to see she didn't seem the type to flaunt her talents or shmooze to get ahead. She mostly kept to herself. He wasn't interested, he'd told himself, he was just looking after another person who seemed alone. After much internal debate, he had submitted a few design opportunities to the Maple River Graphics Club for some of the music school's upcoming productions, hoping to catch a glimpse of this talent he'd heard so much about. She did not disappoint. Erik was smitten. Someone who understands passion! Someone who understands art! He had thought. It was no denying his thoughts after that. He had to see her, just be near this siren of sorts. Even her work spoke to him!_

_It has been a year since those first moments. A year of hope, self-doubt, and torture, knowing that the one person he should be with is completely out of his reach. For each time he spotted her on campus, he would spend a month locked in his office. Every time those dark tresses called out his name, he would feel the burn in his heart and in his body for days on end. Erik found himself seeking her out, despite the pain, finding out where she lived, where she went, anything to be close to her. And then finally, as he felt himself start to unravel, hope set in again. Graduation! Though he would ache for her long after she left, at least he could attempt to forget her. Or at least that's what he thought. The moment he heard she would be offered a position at MRU, he resolved to forget her and her call to him. That's when he took on Olivia._

_Liv had been a high-strung student of his for a while. She was already out making her mark on the world, taking lessons from Erik to improve the purity of her voice. Seeing an opportunity for stardom and wealth, Olivia had been shamelessly flirting with Erik for months now. His sudden interest in her only a few months ago only fanned her ego, proclaiming to anyone who would listen that she was dating a brilliant and wealthy musician who adored her.  
Even Erik had to admit that sometimes, her means of distraction were very persuasive. The sex was never dull, even though his interest was only physical. Olivia filled the void, or at least part of it, for now. Her games were wearing thin and sooner or later he would tire of her completely._

Usually, Liv's voice was what called him out of bed in the mornings. Whether she was on the phone or actually in the house, Olivia's bird-like voice never ceased to grate on his nerves as she found new things to complain about each day. This was why today was so strange. Liv hadn't called and he had actually slept, dreaming of Christine's face once again. Mumbling to himself, Erik dragged himself out of bed, heading to the shower. As the hot steam caressed his face, he thought of her again. _I need her. I need to know her._ A plan began forming in his head and before he stepped out in the cool September air, Erik had decided just what to do.

Olivia met up with him when he reached the school. On the days where she was not busy, she spent her time in the music rooms or following Erik around as if she could not get enough of him. And on the first day of the semester, like today, Liv liked to saunter through the school, swaying her hips past any student that looked interested. But by lunch, Erik was about ready to ask her to leave and never come back, resisting the urge. She took his arm as they walked to the little campus arts café, where she talked unendingly about Orlando Bloom, which Erik was absolutely not listening to. Instead of trying to direct her chatting to a more productive topic, Erik simply decided to just ignore her completely and work on his plans for the next showcase. He had gotten fairly deep into the development of his plans when he realized that Liv was gone. He remembered faintly the twinge of her voice and the smell of her shampoo as she tousled her hair one last time. About to feel triumphant at the loss of the nuisance without any effort on his part, his thoughts stopped suddenly as the hairs on his neck prickled. He was being watched. Erik hated being stared at. Years of living with his mask earned him too many gawkers to feel comfortable in the public eye, hence the secluded corner he had chosen in this café. And yet there it was, that feeling that he was being measured.

He looked up then. Her brilliant green eyes met him square in the face and he felt as though he'd been punched. Christine was the one watching him.


	3. Chapter 3

Erik's heart jumped into his throat as he looked into her eyes. In the seconds before she began stumbling about, he saw into their depths, seeing her curiosity, panic and some other emotion he couldn't quite place. _Great_, he thought as he watched her practically run out of Notes & Paint. _I've scared her away before ever having the chance to talk to her. Now it will be twice as difficult_.

Later that day he decided that now was a better time than any to put his plan in motion. If he was going to prove he wasn't a monster and get the opportunity to meet her, he needed to act on it before he lost his nerve.

* * *

"Christine, could you come into my office please?" Gwen Martin, the head of the Graphics department, popped her head into Christine's classroom before heading down to the copier. She was a little confused at the nature of her own request, but very proud of Christine for having set an impression so early in her career.

A panic-ridden Christine came into the office moments later, red faced and teary-eyed.  
"My goodness, Christine, are you all right?"  
"Oh, yes ma'am. It's nothing. What did you need to see me about? Have I already received too many complaints to keep me on for the full semester?"  
Gwen burst out laughing. "No, no, of course not! Is that what you thought this meeting was for?" Christine's face flushed an even brighter red as she sat waiting for the true explanation.  
"No, actually it's exciting news for you! Mr. De Lorme has requested you personally to help design for the winter music showcase here in December. I guess he has seen your work through the MRG Club and decided to come straight to the source rather than freelance from any of the students. In all of my years here at Maple River, I have never seen Mr. De Lorme reach out to any one person. You must have made some impression on him over the last year."

Tight lipped with a forced smile plastered on her face, Christine listened to the rest of the details about the assignment before thanking Gwen and heading back to her classroom.  
"Some impression?!" she whispered frantically to herself, "He probably just wants an explanation for my behavior that first week. Oh what am I going to do?! I am such a screw-up!" It had been 3 weeks since she had embarrassed herself in front of him at the café, and she was hoping she could just forget all about it. The tears began to bubble up to the surface, but she managed to swallow them as her students began filing into the classroom for their weekly Photoshop lesson. _Oh god, this is not going to be good…_

Christine was to meet Erik in his office at the end of the next day, a Tuesday. She awoke that morning feeling frazzled and nervous, bumping into the counter on her way to the kitchen. Hissing at the jolt of pain, she poured her cereal and started going over her introductions. "Mr. Erik…er…Mr. De Lorme. A pleasure to finally meet you, so sorry to have been staring at your manly goodness last week." She smacked herself on the forehead with her palm. "Hello, hello. Please forgive my intrusion on your personal bubble, hopefully there will be no bubble-bursting from here on out…good god, it's getting worse!" She shook her head at her insane babble as she went back to chewing.  
"Girlfriend, do I hear you talking to yourself in there?" Meg called from her bedroom.  
"…It was the wind!" Nervousness either made Christine a comedian or a disaster, she hoped the humor lasted through her meeting.  
After breakfast, Christine went to her closet to pick out her outfit. Her closet was limited, but she had a few standout pieces that usually made up for her lack of unique outfits. Standing in her closet for several minutes, she decided to go with a nice merlot-colored turtleneck, dark jeans, her mother's cameo necklace and her black and white oxford pumps. The shoes were old-fashioned in style, but sexy with a 4-inch heel. They were Christine's favorite pair and tended to help soothe the multitudes of derogatory comments usually raging about in her head. If she was to be completely humiliated today, at least she could walk out with a kick in her step.  
After a shower and the careful application of her makeup, she tied her dark hair into a messy ponytail, letting a few random curls fall where they may. She looked at herself in the mirror and before letting herself get worked up over the plain and ordinary woman looking back at her, gathered her things and walked out the door.

Unlike most days, today was flying by. Christine taught her beginning design course and introductory web classes without a hitch and before she knew it, it was her lunch break. Admittedly she was glad to have time to see her best friend for a while. Meg had been taking lunch with the new dance instructor, Ethan, a few days a week. He had undoubtedly called her by the end of the first week and she was testing the waters, only allowing him time with her on campus amidst lots of people. But today Ethan was at the local community college down the road teaching a round of dance classes, his usual schedule for Tuesdays and Thursdays. Christine started to relish this time because she knew that today she would get to be alone with Meg to hash out her worries before her meeting this afternoon.

"Hey-o! Oh wow, you look smokin'! Are you really that nervous? Well, in any case, he'll definitely be distracted." Meg winked at her friend, appreciating the extra work Christine had obviously put into her appearance today. She loved her friend, but tended to worry about her constantly dropping self-esteem and the amount of time she spent alone in their apartment. She was glad to see Christine take advantage of her god-given looks for a change. "I ordered the house salad. I have to tutor an advanced student today and you are probably nervous, so I figured we'd keep it light." Christine nodded in appreciation, afraid that more food would have made her sick when mixed with her nerves.  
"So I look okay? But do I look like I'm trying to hard? I just don't know what I'm going to say, if I can even get any words out. You know I'll stutter and make a fool of myself. I can't even look at him without losing my train of thought. I'm going to COMPLETELY HUMILIATE MYSELF!" Christine's voice rose in her panic and she shook her head in dismay, realizing that today, all hope of ever having a normal relationship with this man she had been pining over for a year would go completely awash.  
"Sh sh sh, Christine, get a hold of yourself. He wants you for your talents, not so that he can yell at you. He probably didn't even know that it was you at N&P that day, and it was just a happy coincidence that he asked for you to work with him. This is all good! Don't you see? Plus, you can do a little inside investigation and see what there is to him. We have to know! He is just so…steamy! And that mask is so odd," Meg squealed. "Oh, I can't wait to hear all about it tonight when you get back!"  
Christine nodded absently in agreement as she chewed uneasily on her bits of lettuce. The little tomatoes in her salad felt like rocks as they hit her stomach, and she brushed away the feeling, knowing that her nerves turned everything topsy-turvy.

As the girls finished their lunches, Meg proceeded to tell Christine all about her developing relationship with Ethan and how this weekend they were going on an actual date. She still hadn't decided if she was going to sleep with him this time or not, though the thought certainly made her heart skip a beat. This Ethan definitely had the makings of a long-term commitment. He was attentive and interested, and the fact that he was into dance and not football was a huge plus. Meg licked her lips as she confided the details in her best friend.

Lunch always seemed to pass more quickly than anything else, and Christine said her goodbyes to her friend sooner than she would have liked, with the panic settling back in. Her last design class came and went and Christine found herself standing at her desk, staring into space as her stomach continued to turn her lunch upside down.  
It was 5 o'clock. Their meeting was in 15 minutes. Slowly, she made her way through the hallways and crossed to the music building. She rode the elevator to the top floor and as she emerged, she was visibly shaking. The moment was upon her. Trying to muster up the last of her strength, Christine entered Erik's office hoping that she at least appeared unafraid.  
"Mr. De Lorme? Hi…erm…I'm uhChristineDaaeuherm," She stammered through her name, the flush of her cheeks now evident on her face.  
The tall dark man was standing over his desk, his knuckles white as they gripped the sides of the mahogany furniture. She had spoken before he had even acknowledged her presence in the room and her ethereal voice cut through him like a knife, her nervous stuttering be damned. How long had he been waiting to hear that perfect voice? Probably his whole life, and here she was, like a light in his dark, empty world.  
He stood like that for another moment and as he turned to her, he once again felt the breath leave his body as he took in the sight of her. She was heaven. Her delicious curls falling about her flushed face, the anxiety exuding out of her like a force. He just wanted to be the one to ease that pain, to be her only comfort. He nearly forgot himself but for her next reaction that shifted his focus entirely. As he opened his mouth to speak to her, Christine's face suddenly went white, the blood quickly draining. He had to dart across the room as she crumpled to the floor, her nerves clearly winning over as she fainted in his arms.


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh my god, Jillian, yeah! I mean she's just lying here on his couch. I walked in a second ago and here she is! This little puppy that wandered into his office… No, no, Jillian, not a _real_ puppy. The girl, _remember_? It's a clear sign that I need to up my game, if this woman is allowed to mosey on into his office without a word…Yeah, yeah…Okay. Sure girl, I'll hit you back later. Ciao!"  
Olivia's shrill voice pushed Christine out of her dreams_. It was a nice dream too_, she thought. _Warm hands, that dark, rich smell. I felt so cozy…Wait, where am I? Did I hear somebody talking?_ She opened one eye a slit to see her surroundings.  
She lay on a plush couch in the middle of a large room with dark, wood-paneled walls. _Shit! The office! _Christine groaned as she started to get up, more humiliated as the reality set in in waves.  
"Umm, hellooo? Yeah, hi, my name is Olivia and I would love to know what you're doing sleeping on my boyfriend's couch?" The woman cocked her perfect hip and looked at the confused girl expectantly. Baffled, Christine began to mutter her apologies when Erik stormed in.  
"Olivia, get the hell out! I told you I was busy this afternoon, I suggest you busy yourself as well."  
"But baaaaaby, I wanted to see you before I met Claire at the salon." She fiddled with his tie, pressing herself against him as she look up at him through her long lashes. "I thought we could talk about, you know, what we were talking about yesterday?"  
Dark stare.  
"E.E., the _ring_ we were talking about yesterday?" She pouted her lip at him, hoping that her pet name and a good fat lip would help push the subject that Erik had only too quickly pushed aside the day before.  
"Liv, I will _not_ discuss this with you right now. Leave us."  
"Fine! I'll _ring_ you later so that you have time to ready your apology for that girl being here alone with you! Olivia rolled her eyes and stomped out of the office in her red Gucci shoes, ginger hair waving behind her.

Christine sat, watching the commotion before her, feeling the twinge of envy at the mention of commitment between them. Although glad to see Olivia leave, she was terrified to once again be alone with Erik. The results last time ended with her drooling, passed out on the couch.  
"Uh..hi..sorry. I can't believe, I get really nervous, sorry?"  
"Unnecessary apology, I assure you." He cleared his throat. "Now if you are feeling up to it, I would like to get to the reason I asked you hear in the first place."  
Christine sat up at that, adjusting her clothes and attempting to steady her mane of curls, trying to look presentable in front of him. "Yes, yes, of course. Gwen, er Ms. Martin, told me you were looking for some designs for the winter showcase?"  
"Yes. Please come over here and look at the plans and schedule for the night so that you can see the type of art that will be displayed. I'm sure this will help with the direction for your inspiration. Also, please note that you will be compensated handsomely."  
"Oh…that's really not necessary," she blushed.  
"I insist. We can work out the fee later, but for now we'll deal with the designs themselves."  
And so, they stood there for another hour, hunkered over the plans while Christine gathered information from Erik, their unorthodox first meeting forgotten. The conversation flowed freely and Christine began sketching ideas.

"I like those drawings there," he pointed to one of several pages laid out on the table. "What is that, a mask?"  
"Yes, actually. One of the more elaborate ideas for the night, I thought I'd do a range of ideas from simple to extravagant and see which ones you like best."  
"Well definitely keep working on that one, it suits the musical theme for the show."  
"Really? That was a question I meant to ask, what types of music will be performed?"  
"Are you familiar with any operas, my dear?"  
"A few, but if that's the direction of the showcase, I'll be sure to listen to a lot more. That should help." She jotted down a short note for herself on the corner of the page with the sketched mask Erik had noticed.  
"Good idea." He smiled a little to himself at that, noting to himself to play some of his favorites when they met again.

Sometime later, Erik excused himself for a moment to make a phone call. Olivia had left more than a few messages, demanding to know if he was still with _her_. He promised to meet her later if she'd stop the incessant bothering.  
Before he walked back in to join Christine, he could not help but peek out at her leaning over the table. He watched as she casually tapped the end of the pencil on her mouth, occasionally puckering her lips as the eraser continued to graze the surface. She had her feet planted firmly on the ground, shoulder width apart and she leaned on her elbow over her sketches. Her hair, now free of her ponytail, hung loose on her shoulders, making the setting sun dance across it through the open windows. Erik sighed as he watched her, his breathing becoming quicker the longer he stood in the doorway. He had to admit, aside from the initial fainting, their meeting was going famously. Her stuttering had ceased and she seemed oddly at ease with his company.  
He was disappointed that their first evening would need to come to an end soon, knowing he would get greedy if he let it go on too long. He was optimistic though, her attitude during this meeting made it seem like she would agree to another with no problem. Erik did not dare to dream that she would ever come to him as more than just a fellow employee or friend, but he had hope that maybe in time, he could be closer to her than just seeing her across the café.

"Ahem, sorry to interrupt your thoughts, my dear, but it's about time for us both the leave," he approached her slowly. "Is there anything you need from me before you go?"  
"Oh, it's that time already? Well, I," she looked up to see him gazing down at her and gulped loudly. Was he that close to her this whole time? Did he always smell that good?, "I…um…no, no that's it. Well, I would like to show you my ideas in a few days…um, if you want. You probably won't like them." Her neurotic ramblings had begun again.  
"Yes, of course. How about this time next week? Preferably without the fainting." Was that a wink she saw him give her? She flushed in response.  
"Okay, yes…better go. It was nice to finally meet you, sir…Erik…Mr. De Lorme?"  
"Please, Erik is fine."  
She nodded as she backed out of his office, giving him one last uncertain smile before turning and heading to the elevator.

It was in the elevator that Christine felt herself let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. Pressing her cheek to the cool metal of the wall, she silently berated herself for her outrageous behavior tonight. _Fainting? Stuttering? Hell, backing out of the office? What are you, 5 years old? _She exited the elevator and made her way to the parking lot, eyes downcast as she went. The only other car in sight was a champagne, Porsche Cayenne, sitting on it's own in a private lot just outside the music building. _I wonder whose…? No way, it couldn't be…_ Christine whistled at the thought as she reached her own car, a modest royal blue Ford Escape Hybrid that her parents had gifted her only 4 years ago. She started the engine and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the radio as she drove home.

Erik watched her walk to the parking lot, making sure she reached her car safely. Once she had exited the campus, he closed the curtains and sat down at the piano. He loved this instrument. He'd designed his office specifically for this piano, and no matter how many years of practice, still felt a rush of pleasure as his fingers glided over the keys. Playing quietly for a few minutes, he closed his eyes and dreamt she was still there with him, humming the melody into his ear.


	5. Chapter 5

Christine walked in the door to find Meg curled up on their loveseat with a book. She smiled wide as she watched Christine shuffle to the living room and toss her tote half-hazardly on a chair.

"Sooooo, how'd it go?"

Christine collapsed on the couch with Meg. "Oh my god, it was awful! And….awesome? Oh, I don't know!" Christine put her head in her hands. "I fainted, Meg. FAINTED!" she cried, "And I woke up on his office couch to that annoying red-head girlfriend of his, Olivia, yelling at me!"

"How in the hell do you pull off fainting and a catfight in a measly 2 hours?" Meg asked bewildered, closing her book and placing it on the coffee table, "And how was that also awesome??"

"Oh no, the fainting and the yelling was the awful part, it was awesome because once we got down to work, it was no big deal to be around him. He didn't say anything about me staring at him the other day, so maybe you were right about that after all! He was actually kind of cool, very artsy. But he makes me sooo nervous!" She flushed as she thought about him.

"Really now? That _is_ awesome! Yeah he makes me nervous when he's standing across the campus, I don't envy you being up close and personal with him."

"Actually, Meg, other than me being nervous, he was really calming to be around. He's so quiet and intuitive. I'm really looking forward to meeting with him again next week…that is, if I don't pass out again. Ugh!"

Meg raised her eyebrows at Christine's small confession, seeing the infatuation growing in her eyes. Though she'd never admitted to anything, Meg could see the way Christine had looked over the last months when the girls mentioned Mr. De Lorme. Her cheeks would always go rosy pink, and she'd stutter a little as she gossiped with her.  
"So when do you have to have your drawings up and ready?"

"Well, I'm supposed to meet him again next week, so I have a nice long weekend to work on it." Christine's eyes sparkled, "I'm actually pretty excited about it. He wants a full design for this showcase. Like not only the programs and posters, but even down to the decorations!"

"How exciting! I've heard bits and pieces about it since my students will be dancing to some of the musical performances," Meg said, "Someone told me it was supposed to be, like, the largest production MRU has ever put on, is that right?"

"Yeah, which makes me want to crap my pants… How am I supposed to design something at that scale? I mean, I'm _technically_ trained to be able to do it, but…I'm scared! He wants me to design a theme and everything. I don't have that many ideas for the whole thing yet."

Meg got up from the couch, heading to the kitchen. "Well what ideas _do_ you have so far?" She asked over her shoulder as she made them some hot cocoa.

"Well, since it's this big musical production and there will be dancers involved, wouldn't it be neat to have not just the performers in costume, but the audience as well? I mean, loads of people dress up for holiday parties that time of year, why not for a show?"

"Ooo, I like. Tell me more." She handed Christine a mug of cocoa and joined her again on the loveseat.

"Well, it's not like I have a ton of ideas yet, but that's the direction I'm going. Erik, Mr. De Lorme, he seemed to like the idea okay. I was thinking like a masquerade, where everyone is in nice outfits, but their mask is their costume, even the performers. I thought it could not only draw the crowd in, but also bring the whole place together like it was a party. Erik said to plan on a reception afterwards, so everyone would have the chance to mingle in their costumes and dance a little."

"I LOVE it! It's perfect!! So the masquerade will be the theme of the whole night, the posters, the people, everything?"

"Exactly. Even the performances will have that cool, operatic air to them, at least that's what Erik said."

"Christine, are you sure you _can't handle something at this scale_? Because it sounds to me like it's a cakewalk for you to come up with this stuff. If it were my responsibility, we'd all be drinking beer while the dancers Saut de Chat'd on someone's back porch!"

At that, both girls fell into a fit of giggles. Christine was the first to compose herself again, a smile stretching across her face. "You know I love you, right?"  
"Ditto, sweet cheeks," Meg replied.

The girls watched some TV for a while before turning in for the night. As Christine lay there in her bed, arms crossed behind her head, she wondered how his night had played out that evening. Did he follow a similar pattern as the girls? Having some quiet time on his sofa at home with Olivia, maybe even eventually breaking into a tickle fight? She laughed at the thought. Erik did _not_ seem the type to engage in anything silly, she could not even imagine a smile on his face other than the smirk he'd given her as they'd said their goodbyes. _I wonder what his smile looks like? _She mused_. It's probably just as glorious as the rest of him._

And just like that, her happy ending to the day was demolished. Christine rolled over on her pillow, now depressed at how out of her league this man was. _Why do I even bother thinking about him at all? …Because that's exactly what he is, stupid, a fantasy._

_

* * *

  
_

Erik stayed at the office for an extra hour after Christine had left, anxious to get a few of his new composition ideas on paper. The piece was really coming along, though to what end he still did not know. He'd been working on it for a few months now and his creative block was baffling him. Slowly, the notes would come to him in bursts, like a thought. And letting go of his control, Erik steadily let the music bend him to its will. It was almost finished, and he was curious to see what would come next.

He was supposed to meet Olivia for a late dinner in a few minutes. He groaned internally at the thought. She would undoubtedly want to discuss an engagement, her primary thought ever since his plan for a winter showcase was unveiled. Olivia had weaseled her way into being the guest artist at the show and Erik could only imagine her plan to be introduced as "the future Mrs. Erik De Lorme." He couldn't believe she really was delighted at the thought of marrying _him_, but marrying someone with connections and money, well, that was another story. _I shouldn't be surprised_, he thought grimly to himself. _That's all I'm good for anyway. Money and power, money and power._ He wondered what it would be like to be with someone who purely desired his company. The small bits of happiness that came with seeing her face light up when she spots him, or the hug that makes up for their time lost. Such simple joys seemed so out of reach. There had been a few women across his 30 years who had seemed to come to him of their own accord, but given enough time, their dark motives always came to the surface. At least with Olivia, she made it clear that she wanted what he had and would give him what he wanted from her in return. He considered the idea of marrying her, and the prospect of never having to be truly alone again. _The arrangement would have its perks_, he thought, _but maybe it's too soon to make any decisions like that. Not when there's still…her._

Erik thought about it a few minutes more before deciding to wait to see how his current plan played out. If it all ended up in flames with Christine, he conceded to graciously accept Olivia's request for marriage. _Besides, life with Olivia can't be worse than a life with no companionship at all…_

He then put on his coat and made his way out of the office and down the elevator to his Porsche parked just outside the building. His most modest car, it pained him not to be able to take his favorite piece of machinery to work everyday. His Mercedes McLaren SLR would glide nicely through a cool September evening like this, slicing through the streets like a bullet.

Erik let the engine of the Cayenne roar to life and sped through the night to the small, Italian restaurant, _Il Muto's_, where Olivia was waiting for him. It was the only place he usually agreed going to with her, the dimly lit restaurant providing the necessary disguise of his mask in a public place. Olivia generally did not like _Il Muto's_, preferring to be somewhere flashy and much more well known. Personally, he loved the "hidden gem" quality the small restaurant had. The food was impeccable and the atmosphere was quaint and welcoming, the family-owned business was a local treasure.

As expected, Olivia sat perched at Erik's preferred table sipping a cappuccino.

"Erik, baby, I ordered your usual for you. The waiter just came by and said it would be out soon, so why don't you come here and sit with me." She tapped the seat closest to her.

He hung his coat on the small rack near their seats and sat across from her, ignoring the motion, noting that Olivia's eyes sparkled mischievously. _Here it comes…_

"So, E.E., I've come up with a way for you to make up for this afternoon. Since you feel so at ease allowing strange women to crash on your couch, I think I need a certain level of commitment from you to put my mind at ease…I think you know what I'm referring to." There it was, the big eyes and forced innocent smile, she was pulling out all the stops tonight.

"Liv, I already told you I did not want to discuss that any further. But we _can_ discuss your piece for the showcase, the weather, hell, we can even talk about how many kids Angelina Jo-something or other has. What will it be?"

"I'm not kidding, Erik. I'm ready to be engaged, and I _want_ it to be before the showcase." The faux sweetness was gone now and Olivia seemed to be showing a little more resilience tonight. Usually she just pouted and moved to the next topic of interest to her.

"You try my patience. If a big diamond ring is what you want, then we can go shopping. But I think it's pretty obvious that marriage is not what you're looking for. Besides, I'm not sure I want to be married."

Olivia kicked her talents into high gear. She got up from her seat and went to sit in Erik's lap. She nuzzled her nose with his and kissed his ear as she whispered to him. "Baby, what makes you think I don't want to be married to you? It hurts me to think that I might not be what you want. Don't you…_want_ me?" Eyes smoldering, she kissed him. Even Erik became detached from reality at her teasing.

"I…I…Olivia, please. Maybe I need to just a little more time to get used to the idea. Why don't you ask me again at Thanksgiving, hmm?" His mind was screaming at him to stop talking, to stop giving in, but his body was taking over the control. "Liv, darling, why don't we wait to finish the rest of this…conversation at home?" Clearly, the conversation would _not_ be a verbal one.

"Mmm, you read my mind. Let's hurry up and eat so we can leave." Olivia smirked at him, knowing Erik could never resist it when she tempted him. She knew she would just have to work her magic a little more often if she was going to get what she wanted. And she would.

The waiter brought their food, a salad for her and Chicken Marsala for him. They ate in tension-filled silence, eyes dancing across the table at each other every so often. Once they had payed the check, Erik quickly got up and escorted Olivia out of the restaurant. Their evening was not over yet, and Olivia planned to be extra generous tonight, hoping that in the morning, Erik's resolve would start to chip away.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: Woohoo for reviews! My first story + my first reviews = a very happy Lettermefiction. So thanks! School just started again so it has been crazy trying to find time to write, but I promise to update sooner next time. This chapter is more stagnant but necessary to the plot. More angsty goodness coming up in Chapter 7!

* * *

Olivia did not disappoint.

Erik awoke late the next morning feeling ashamed. He was not one to feel guilty for being with a woman he was not married to or because he did not love her. Erik felt guilty for allowing himself to be with Olivia when he was trying to form a relationship with Christine. He often thought of her when he and Olivia were together, but now that they had actually spoken and spent time together, Erik felt almost as if he were cheating on her. _This is foolish. I'm dating Olivia and it isn't a crime to have sex with your girlfriend._ But Erik knew the desires that were in his heart and they did _not_ involve Olivia.

"Well, I'm outtie. I've got to meet with my agent for lunch. She said she's got a few new opportunities for me." Olivia meandered into the bedroom from the bathroom, brushing her hair. She didn't live with Erik per his refusal, but she was allowed to keep several things around. A few outfits and some toiletries, plus the insane amount of cosmetics she kept daily in her purse.

"I really hope she snagged a few castings for Broadway tours, that's what I really want. Do you think you've trained my voice well enough to impress them _this time_?"

"Liv, without me, you would continue to sing at parties and church musicals. Now your voice is impeccable and you will be begged to perform for large scale productions. So, yes, of course your voice will impress them. Need I remind you, you didn't have me last time."

"Humph!" Olivia stalked back into the bathroom and slammed the door. She did not like being told she was mediocre before he started tutoring her.

Truth be told, Erik had made a few calls earlier in the week to get Olivia out auditioning for parts. He needed her gone on a tour for the next few weeks so that he could focus all of his energy on the showcase. Well, the showcase and Christine. He knew that Olivia's voice was ready for the challenge and had only needed to find out who was casting and to let her agent know about the opportunities. So it was no surprise to hear Olivia had plans to speak with her agent about the castings, but he was perturbed at her haughty attitude, though it should be expected.

Erik got up then and went to his studio downstairs. Sitting at his piano, a much larger version of the piano in his office at the university, he began playing a nameless tune. He closed his eyes as he banged on the keys, his frustrations with Olivia coming out in harsh but beautiful notes.

He didn't know how long he sat there, in his pajama pants and robe, but he did hear the slam of the front door as Olivia left for her meeting. She knew not to bother him when he played, and he imagined she had nothing to say to him after this morning anyways.

Erik had planned to go into his office after lunch. It was Wednesday and he only had one private lesson that afternoon, so he really didn't need to go in any earlier than necessary. Besides, he liked spending time in his expansive home so that he could work on his other interests. Erik had been investing in up and coming businesses for as long as he was able, but just recently he had started his own architectural company. With the music school at Maple River University on its feet and successful, he had time to pursue his new idea. He had always had a designer's gift; he had even designed the layout for his own prestigious home. The company was already becoming successful, though a lot of that was in thanks to Erik's long-time friend and business partner, Nadir Khan. Nadir was the one going out to meet with prospective clients and making calls to the builders. Erik very much appreciated Nadir's efforts, as he was the more approachable of the two. Erik was the artist behind the scenes, drafting the blueprints for amazing new buildings. If there was one thing Erik was blessed with, it was creating masterpieces. There was not an average bone in his body. This was why he and Nadir made such great business partners; they never got in the way of the other's niche.

Erik got up and went back upstairs to shower and get ready for the day. He noticed that his stomach was growling after he finished getting dressed and hurried down to the kitchen to see what his personal shopper had picked up for him at the grocery store. It made sense to have a personal shopper since he did not enjoy the bright lights and open space of the public supermarket.

He roamed his hands through the extra large pantry and decided on some soup. The warm liquid felt good as it slid down his throat while he sat at the little nook table. As he sat there taking in the silence of his big house, Erik could feel the restless anxiety creeping up on him. And at that, he downed the rest of his soup, jetted out of the house and made his way to the university. All the while hoping he might arrive earlier enough to spot Christine as she walked back to her building after her lunch break.

* * *

"Okay, and who can tell me which program uses…" yawn, "uses…vector-based…um. Oh darn it, I've lost my train of thought." Christine shook her head at herself. She had tossed and turned all night again and it was taking its toll on her teaching.

"Well, I guess we can get out a few minutes early today. Make sure you all work on your book jacket designs. Critiques are next week."

The students filed out of the room, and Christine sat at her desk covering her mouth as she yawned again.

The morning had not been going well. _Isn't that how all my mornings go?_ Christine had woken up late and rushed to make it on time, a construction worker on the road had yelled at her for misreading his traffic signals, and now she was forgetting her lessons! She grumbled silently to herself as she shuffled her way to the café at lunchtime.

"Hi honey! Big news!!"

"Great..." Christine plopped in her chair.

"Ooookay, what's up with you, grumpy?" Meg sat in the chair next to Christine, knowing very well what was bothering her. "You know, Christine, those break-ins were four towns away, they're nowhere near here okay? Plus, you're with me, you are fine!"

"I know that, but I can't help it. It gets to me even if it's in a neighboring state!" She shook her head quickly, brushing the topic out of her mind. "But that is not big news, what _is_ the big news? I'm all ears, promise."

"Well, you know how Ethan is from New York? Well, he has friends at the American Ballet Company and all of Maple River's dance teachers were asked to join him at the company for their annual teacher's conference. The conference won't be crazy exciting, but we will get to spend 5 days in New York!!"

"Wow, New York! How exciting, Meg! When do you go?"

"We're going during our Fall Break. Luckily, the conference falls on the last few days of the break, so we're just going to head up there the first days of the break and enjoy the city. Oh my gosh, I'm so excited! Only a month away!" Meg was practically bouncing out of her seat, she was so jittery.

"Wow, how fun! I think this may call for some new NYC-worthy outfits, hmm?"

"Yes! Perfect! Let's hit the mall next weekend, yeah?"

"Definitely. Now let's get me some coffee so I can actually teach later. You wouldn't believe my morning…"

And so, Christine vented about earlier, glad to have a reason preventing her from hyperventilating. The crime trend circulating the news was bringing up all of those memories she constantly tried so hard to forget. She just hoped the break-ins didn't start in her own town, or she may have to check herself into a hotel and get some valium. _Maybe a mental institution? Lord have mercy._

On her way back from lunch, Christine bought another coffee take back to her classroom. She happily smelled the calming aroma and as she rounded the corner she spotted Erik through the window, getting out of his SUV. He stood there next to his car looking into the courtyard with a searching and frustrated look on his face. And just as the look appeared on his face, it was gone, replaced by his signature dark and brooding expression.

"I _knew_ it was his car," she muttered to herself, though she had to admit she swooned a little as he got out of the Porsche. The sheer power emanating from him nearly brought her to her knees. Grateful to not need to be near him for another week, she collected herself and finished her journey through the hallway, determined to make the rest of the day kick her morning in the ass.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Notes: To those alerted to this story, sorry about the invasion of previous chapter updates in your inboxes. I fixed some typos in one chapter and ended up deleting the whole thing and re-uploading. It was a mess. Last time I try to be spelling-conscious! ;) Anyways, I like this chapter, though it may be annoying to the rest of you since none of you know what's coming. *wink wink* Happy Reading!

* * *

The rest of the week went by as normal, the crisp, late September air nipping even harder as the month dragged on. Maple River was known for its rough winters, shutting down the entire town with its unrelenting blizzards. September was always the transition month, reminding everyone to pull out their heavy winter coats soon and stock up on imperishable food. Christine loved the cold, she didn't even mind getting stuck indoors for days at a time, but she always got caught being unprepared somehow. Her small generator would die or she ran out of matches; somehow she ended each storm bundled in all of her blankets praying that it would be over soon.

Which is why she found herself shopping for supplies at the Maple River Target on Sunday afternoon. Plus, Christine was happy for an excuse to get out of the house and away from the news of the burglaries creeping closer and closer to her town.

The current weather only called for a warm jacket, scarf and some mittens, but her cart spoke of the bitter weather to come. _More matches than last year, more candles than last year, an extra portable heater, 2 dozen cans of soup, 4 more cases of bottled water than last year, a new flashlight, a new radio and more batteries than I've have ever bought in one sitting. That has to be enough, right? I will beat the cold this year, I will! _Christine loaded her items onto the checkout counter and gave a nervous smile to the cashier.

"Stocking up early this year, I see." The elderly woman gave Christine an amused smile as she took the girl's card. "Debit or credit?"

"Debit," She sighed. "Well, I just never seem to have enough when the time comes."

"I'm sure you'll do fine this time around. Here you go, have a nice day."

Christine put her card back in her purse and pushed her full cart to the busy parking lot. She packed up her car, and as she was pulling out of the lot, she saw a champagne Cayenne parked outside the building across the street.

"Oh great, now I'm going to see those everywhere!" Her heart jumped in her chest at the thought he could be in that building, and knew that every time she saw that car now, she would get that nervous bubble feeling in her stomach. _Speaking of which, I need to prepare my sketches for our meeting on Tuesday._

She drove back to the apartment and got to work on the finishing touches to what she would present to Erik at their next meeting. Christine felt proud of her work, but knew that as soon as it was time for him to look them over, she would find all of the hidden mistakes jumping out at her.

* * *

Tuesday morning was a cold one. Christine pulled her coat more tightly around herself as she hurried into the warmth of her building. She had started shaking in the shower this morning and hoped that that would be the extent of her external nervousness. A little stuttering she could handle, but anything else that spoke of her anxiety was mortifying.

_Frankly, as long as I don't faint or trip on anything, I think I can call the meeting a success._

She chuckled to herself as she remembered her reasoning for her outfit this morning. Flat boots that might prevent excessive falling on her part and a pretty dragonfly hairpin to keep her hair from her face, preventing her from knocking into things unnecessarily. She really liked the pin, the lavender rhinestones sparkling amidst her curls and matching with the eggplant cowl neck sweater she was wearing. Her mother had given her the small accessory for her eighteenth birthday and it was the last gift she'd received from her before the incident.

Once inside her room, Christine shrugged out of her chocolate brown pea coat and began removing the graded assignments from her tote. Her students continued to exceed her expectations and she was feeling a lot better about her teaching skills. Midterms were coming up and Christine felt confident that her students would be well prepared and ready. As a bonus, she was hoping to be able to take it easy on them on the final if the rest of the semester went as smoothly.

She had a few extra minutes before class was to start and decided to run to the vending machines for a diet soda, despite the frigid weather. She was trying to stay light and calm and a caffeine fix was sure to help do the trick.

Christine ended up going to the lobby of the music building with her packed lunch that afternoon, knowing that Meg and Ethan would be fawning over each other at Notes & Paint, and some of the advanced music students were playing in the lobby during the lunch hour. Her best friend had finally gone on a real date with Ethan and they hadn't really left her bedroom since they had gotten back from dinner on Friday night. So Christine wasn't really looking forward to sitting in silence with them while they just stared at each other.

She found a seat along the wall and began eating her peanut butter and jelly as she listened to the nice jazz. The serenity was so nice, Christine didn't even notice the extra bit of peanut butter that remained on the corner of her mouth after a particularly wonderful bite. That is not to say, someone else didn't notice.

Erik sat across the room from her in the corner next to a large potted plant, almost hidden from her view. He had seen her come in and watched her happily sit in peace with her small lunch. Her blissful ignorance of his eyes on her was just too endearing and his lips curved up in a small smile. He took that moment to approach her.

"Excuse me, but I think you might need this." Erik held out a handkerchief to Christine as he loomed over her.

Christine was so startled at his sudden presence that she accidentally inhaled a bite of her sandwich and promptly regretted it as she choked. She sputtered and coughed for a few seconds and when she looked up he was still there, hand outstretched offering the handkerchief to her.

"How, what, where did you come from? Um, I mean…hi?"

"Hello. I simply wanted to let you know that you have peanut butter on the corner of your mouth. Here, take this."

"Oh!" The familiar rise in heat crept up her face. "I'm sorry, I was just so surprised. You seemed to appear out of thin air." She took his offer and quickly dabbed the handkerchief on her lips.

"Yes, well, I happened to be sitting over there." He turned his body to the direction of the empty corner without bothering to point. "Though, it will again be as if I was never here. I should be on my way back to my office. I will see you this afternoon."

Christine quickly held out the handkerchief to him. "Wait, here, and thank you."

"You may keep it, I don't seem to find myself in a peanut butter situation very often." That smirk. It started to seem lately that if Christine was blushing, Erik was smirking. The two went hand in hand these days.

"Oh," Christine gave him a dopey smile, feeling more foolish by the second. "Thanks then. Peanut butter, well, basically all food, has it out for me. This will be well used." She waved the handkerchief around as she talked.

"Yes, well, good luck. See you at our meeting." And with that, he turned on his heel and was gone.

When he was safely out of sight, Christine quickly buried her face in the small piece of cloth in her hands. Whimpering a little to herself as she sat in the wide-open space of the building. _Oh, dear God. Food on my face, choking, telling him I didn't notice him. I'm a piece of work._

Christine took a deep breath and gathered her trash as she started to walk back to her classroom. More than anything, she wished she would see Meg before having to face Erik again. She needed Meg's familiar chatter to sooth that voice screaming in her head. But she had a feeling that her Meg would be in short supply the next couple of weeks. It seemed that her and Ethan had really hit it off this weekend and that could only build as they prepared to go to New York together in a few weeks.

_But Ethan seems nice, maybe he'll stick around for a while. I think Meg would like that. I know I'd like that for myself. But no, I get the uninterested, brooding musician who makes me stutter and weak at the knees. Lucky lucky Christine!_

Erik couldn't get control himself. He should have just stayed in that corner, enjoying the view instead of approaching her and messing everything up. _At this rate, she will never be interested!_ He could feel himself unravel just thinking about that adorable stuttering she did when she was nervous. Hopefully this afternoon she would be so focused on their job that she wouldn't be afraid of him. It seemed to work well during their last meeting.

Erik was quietly playing the piano in his office when Christine crept in. Olivia had come by after lunch, upset that she had not heard back yet from any of the casting agencies. She stayed just long enough to make Erik's blood pressure rise, and he had sat at the piano to calm himself ever since. Christine was happy to find him in such a different state than what she was used to. She could only see the unmasked side of his face, but he looked almost content as he lightly played a mellow tune. She hated to disturb him, but knew he would be upset if she just stood there watching him for too long.

Christine tapped quietly on the door and to her surprise, Erik finished the melody before stopping and turning in her direction. Clearly he was in a good mood.

"Ah, Christine, welcome. So, what have you come up with over the last week?"

"Well," she nervously cleared her throat. "I was hoping that maybe I could show you my ideas in the music hall? It just might be better for us both to envision the details if we're looking at the palette. Would that be…um…would that be okay?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. If you have your notes, we can go now."

So the two rode the elevator down to the first floor in a comfortable silence. Once in the auditorium, Christine really opened up and came alive, making her passion for art very apparent. She pulled out multiple sketches, ranging from ideas for entire wall spaces to costume ideas for the performers. Her color schemes complimented the upcoming season, the intended elegance of the showcase, and the current look of the hall. Erik was very impressed, confident that everything he had been assuming about her was right on target.

Their interaction together, once again, was going very well. It seemed that when art was involved, Christine could forget her insecurities and be herself. Erik was so pleased with how comfortable she was acting that he decided to take a chance.

"Christine, since it is nearing 6:30, I was wondering if you might like to continue this conversation over dinner?"

"Dinner?" She gulped in surprise.

"Yes, well there is still a lot of information to cover, and I would imagine that you are getting hungry. Dinner together seems like a plausible option, don't you think?

"Oh, yes, of course it does. Um…dinner sounds great, though I could finish up now if you like."

"No need to rush your ideas, I want to hear everything you have in mind. Do you have any place you might like to go?"

Christine was floored that she was about to go to dinner with this man. Not exactly the way she had imagined, but she would take what she could get! Christine tried to think of a place someone like him may have never been, some place without valet parking, and she kept coming back to her favorite restaurant.

"Well, there is this one place that I just love, though you've probably never heard of it before. Um…_Il Muto's_ on Fairbanks? It's really simple, but I promise the food is just gr—"

"I'm very familiar with _Il Muto's_, it's also one of my favorites as well. If you have all of your things we can go now."

_Marry me._

"Oh…well, great then! Okay, I guess I will meet you there? My car is in the back lot."

_Marry me._

Erik insisted that they ride together, promising to drive her back to her car afterwards. Christine was becoming increasingly nervous, though she was loving every bit of it. _A girl can dream it's a real date, can't she? Oh and this means I get to ride in the Porsche! What a night! Now let's just hope I can keep from sounding stupid and messing everything up._ She crossed her fingers behind her back in a juvenile fashion as they walked together out to his private lot.

Erik tried to keep the conversation strictly to the showcase while they were in the car and as they walked into the restaurant, hoping he could keep her nerves at bay. As long as he allowed no long pauses, Christine seemed completely at ease with him, though he refused to talk about the showcase for the entire night.

"You need another drink. I'll notify the waitress." He waved his hand toward their server and the woman, visibly spooked by Erik's mask, she gave him a dirty look and hurried away to fulfill the request. Christine felt disgust fill her as the woman left them, and attempted to make the conversation light.

"Yeah, diet soda. One of my many vices." She rolled her eyes at herself. Christine knew that if she could turn the topic towards her bad luck and poor habits, she was sure to at least get a half smile out of Erik.

"_Many_ vices? Doubtful. And that drink is not an alcohol beverage, so I do believe your addiction is nothing to worry about."

Christine leaned towards him. She was an expert on picking out her many flaws.

"Well, they get worse. I will pick a restaurant based on their diet soda. This place, their brand is perfect! I only like bottles, not cans. Gross. In a storm, I need cases of diet soda to survive, not water. I'm a mess!" Christine started giggling at her ridiculous confession, but Erik was not fooled.

"That my dear, is only part of the addiction, those don't count as multiple vices. Try again."

"Hmm, well I will play a song I like on loop until I tire of it. Actually, I haven't turned on the radio in 2 months because I'm so in love with the CD I'm listening to. Also, I could eat a peanut butter & jelly sandwich every day for lunch for the rest of my life. Boring, much? I spend more time on the computer than should be allowed and if given the choice, I would live in my pajamas."

At that, Erik chuckled. It wasn't a hearty laugh, but it was more than he had expressed in quite a long time. Their food had come and with the way their conversation was going, he had to admit that he was immensely enjoying her company.

"You know, all of those sound like charming character traits, not vices."

Christine snorted. "Well tell that to my _many_ boyfriends."

"I'm sure your parents appreciate the quirks. Any man who can't handle a woman passionate about peanut butter does not deserve their daughter." Erik smiled slightly at his light-hearted joke but when he looked to Christine, her eyes were wide, her face devoid of any color. Startled, Erik instantly became serious again.

"Christine, are you alright? What is the matter?"

"I…I…my parents. Please excuse me." She got up, almost running to the ladies room.

Christine remained in the restroom for a while. Erik had gotten up after several minutes had passed and waited patiently near the entrance to the ladies room, guilt shooting through him in waves. He had done this to her. He could handle his dark presence making her nervous, even fainting, but he could not handle the fact that he had hurt her and didn't even know how.

She emerged with her face red and her eyes wet and puffy. Erik was horrified. What had happened to her parents?

"Christine, I apologize. Whatever I said, I didn't mean to cause you harm. If you would like, we can leave now."

"Yes, please. Here let me give you some money for—"

"No need, I insist. Just wait right here and I will be back in a moment." He quickly paid the check and asked for a ToGo cup for her drink. When he came to get her, the corners of her mouth turned up as she spotted the cup.

Back in the car, Erik was silent. They drove for a few minutes before Christine quietly spoke up.

"I'm so sorry about that. You really didn't do anything wrong. It just brought back…It's been a long time since…Really, um, it wasn't you. I promise." She tried to explain but just couldn't without losing control.

"You don't have to apologize. Whatever it is, it's important." She sniffed in response. "I hope this does not deter you from continuing to work with me, I genuinely enjoy your company and your artistic vision."

"No, no, of course not. I promise, I will be ship shape for our next meeting."

They arrived at the school and Christine sat with him in silence for a few extra moments before turning to him with a brave smile on her face.

"Thank you for dinner, it was nice talking with you about the showcase. I really think it's going to be a big hit. Goodnight."

Christine climbed out of the Porsche and took out her keys for her own car. She gave him one last glance before getting into her Escape and driving away. She felt so guilty to have made him feel bad about that evening, but she was still reeling from the rush of memories flooding her mind and her heart.


	8. Chapter 8

Editor's Notes: My homework load this week has been light and I'm having all kinds of dreams about the way the story should go, so I've been writing like a madwoman the last few days. Enjoy and review! :)

(Also, for those unaware, "slore" is a lovely combination of the words slut whore. And whom might that name be used for? Hmm...)

* * *

As a result of their dinner disaster, Christine endured another restless night. She dragged herself to school, half-considering canceling all of her classes for the day. It was still early when she got to her classroom, the only benefit to not sleeping well was being able to get out of the house at an ungodly hour. When she walked in, she was met with quite the surprise.

The largest bouquet of flowers she had ever seen awaited her, she gasped at the sight. Lavender hydrangeas, blue irises, red roses and sprigs of baby's breath made up the extraordinary arrangement. There was no note, but Christine could only think of one person capable of such an expensive display.

After standing there for several minutes, just staring at her gift, Christine finally began getting ready for her class. When she checked her school email she found the note meant to accompany the flowers.

_Christine,_

_I do not know how to express how truly sorry I am for the way the evening turned out. Please accept the flowers and my deepest apologies for upsetting you last night. If there is anything I can do to make up for this mistake or if you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to let me know. I hope that there may be a time for you to come to think of me as a friend. My number is (701) 987-2651 and you know where my office is._

_Sincerest Regrets,_

_Erik DeLorme_

She was so touched by his efforts, now feeling the full force of the guilt over her behavior the night before. Unsure of how to find a way to properly thank him for the flowers, Christine sat staring at her computer screen until she realized that all of her students were seated and the class had technically started five minutes earlier. The staring teenagers helped bring her back to earth and she immediately began the lecture for the day.

Erik was not a sound sleeper on the best of nights and Tuesday evening was certainly not kind to him. He tossed and turned for hours, unable to get that hurt look out of his head. Something terrible had happened to her, and based on her reaction, it had to be recent. Part of him was feeling almost jubilant at the fact that they had been out to dinner together and until his horrible mistake, it had gone very well. They were both enjoying themselves, laughing, and he knew that couldn't just be a coincidence. They were good together. _Well, until I ruined everything. She may never forgive me. I have to fix this_. It was about three o'clock in the morning when he gave up trying to sleep, put his mask back on and went into his home office to turn on his computer. He spent an hour on an online flower service, trying to find the perfect bouquet of flowers to have delivered to her at the school. If he ordered soon enough, the arrangement would be at the school by the time she arrived this morning. The accompanying note was going to be too long to be included in the arrangement, so after ordering the flowers, Erik immediately opened his email. The letter took him much longer to compose than he expected, the words just never coming out quite right. Finally, he had to find a way to finish because the sun was due to come up and she would be arriving at the school very soon.

He quickly dressed and got to MRU fairly early, having several private lessons scheduled for the day. With the showcase only a few months away, the top students were in close contact with Erik, needing this performance to help guarantee them a job after graduation.

Erik was busy for the entire morning. It was exhausting to try and appear at least slightly approachable to the students and with one lesson lined up after another, his energy and patience wore thin. By lunch, Erik's head was pounding and he still had 5 more lessons before his day would be over. Happy for the break, he lay on his plush sofa and tried to relax. Though he didn't get very far. Only a few minutes after he had closed his eyes, there was a quiet knock on his office door. Too tired to even answer it, Erik shouted at the irritant to come in.

"This better be good."

There was a large thump, shuffling, the sound of plastic hitting the floor and a classic, "Shit!" in response.

Erik looked up to see Christine fumbling around in his doorway, two plastic sandwich containers open on the floor, the pieces of two turkey and cheese croissants scattered about the floor.

"Sorry! Sorry, sorry. Oh geez, I'm so sorry."

Christine was trying to get the sandwich pieces back in the containers, unaware that when she grabbed the croissant, a streak of mustard remained on her fingertips. However she _did_ feel the texture of the mustard when she absentmindedly wiped the hair from her face. Defeated, Christine sat and leaned against the doorframe. After a moment, she peaked out at a dumbfounded Erik from under her dark lashes.

Who promptly started to chuckle at the destruction before him.

"Don't laugh! I was just trying to thank you for the flowers…brought you lunch. You sounded upset…didn't want to bother. Ugh! And now I have mustard on my…!" She huffed and started rummaging in her purse until she pulled out Erik's handkerchief.

Erik came over and stooped to meet her at eye-level where she sat.

"I thought you might need this again."

With a wry smile, Erik took the handkerchief from her and wiped the mustard from her forehead. She smiled slightly at him.

"Thank you for bringing lunch. It was a nice surprise. Certainly unexpected after the way I made you feel yesterday."

"Listen, I am so sorry about that. It's just still really raw and I can't— "

"Don't. You don't have to say anything. I'm just sorry I brought it up, whatever it is."

He held her arms and helped her stand with him

"Now, why don't we go have that lunch?"

"Um…yes. That sounds…nice." She swallowed loudly and hoped that he could not hear how loud her heart was beating. How long had his face been that close to hers? He was so near that she could see that the eye behind his mask was a slightly lighter blue than the other. _So beautiful_. She breathed him in, loving the dark, masculine sent of him.

Erik cleared his throat and abruptly dropped his hands from her arms, sure that his closeness was making her uncomfortable. He bent to pick up the trash from the floor and quickly went to throw it away. When he returned to her side, Christine had grabbed her purse and was ready and waiting for him at the door. The two were quiet as they made their way to the small bistro, only speaking to order duplicates of the turkey and cheese croissants and drinks. Erik led her to a table towards the back of the café and they sat down to eat, grins spreading across their faces.

"Okay, so, being that it will be _your_ masquerade-themed showcase, do you wear a costume?"

"Hmm, that is the best part. Plus, disguised, no one can recognize me well enough to ask a multitude of ridiculous questions about 'my vision.' What about you? As the designer you have to come and dress accordingly."

Christine smiled wide.

"Oh, I _am_ coming. I'm planning to go hunting for a dress and mask this weekend. My friend Meg is looking for one too, we're going together. Without her, I would probably end up looking like a brown paper bag, though I'm not sure that even _with_ her help I can avoid that."

"You may need help, Christine, because your judgments are starting to make you sound a tad preposterous."

He lifted his eyebrow at her as he sipped his coffee and she rolled her eyes in response.

Christine was kicking herself for continuing to point out her many shortcomings, though it wasn't as if any of them weren't true. _Right? I mean, at least I'm honest._

After a while, Erik checked his watch to find that he would soon need to leave. His next lesson would be arriving in his office in just a few minutes.

"Christine, I have to give a private lesson shortly, so I must go now. Thank you for lunch, I look forward to seeing you again…for our next meeting."

Their easy camaraderie forgotten, Erik stiffly got up from the table and nodded a farewell to Christine. He always seemed to forget his place and allow himself to be free with her.

"Oh, okay. Um…thanks again for the beautiful flowers, they're gorgeous."

Erik gave one last small smile to Christine and then hurried out of Notes & Paint and back to his office. Christine still had several minutes before she had to get back, and so she remained in her seat, enjoying the stillness.

Meg, who had been working through lunch with one of her students, was trying to get to the café for a quick bite before her next class. As she hurried through the courtyard, she saw Erik slipping back into the music building and thought it odd to be seeing him out on campus around lunchtime without Olivia draped on his arm. To her immense pleasure, Christine was still sitting in Notes & Paint when she burst in.

"Hey, girlfriend! Quick, stand with me while I order something to go."

"Hi! Oh, I've missed you these last few days!"

Christine quickly got up and embraced her friend, happy to steal a few moments with her.

"So you'll never guess who I saw walking into the building just now, _sans_ red-headed slore."

She eyed Christine as she spoke, noticing her eyes sparkle at the mention of her dark-haired fantasy gentleman.

"Um, actually he was here with _me_ earlier. We had lunch together today."

Meg's mouth dropped.

"And…dinner together last night."

Just as Meg was about to squeal in response to this news, Christine slapped her hand over her friend's mouth.

"But, it was just business! There is nothing going on, I swear. Plus, he's dating _her_, remember?"

"Well, I'm frequently with the people in the music department and I have never, I repeat _never_, seen Mr. De Lorme out with anyone other than Olivia. Me thinks the times are changing."

She winked at Christine as she spoke in her sing-song voice and quickly ordered a wrap from the person at the counter. The girls said their goodbyes and Meg kissed Christine on the cheek before darting back to her class.

Glad with the way her day was unfolding, aside from her disastrous first try at lunch, Christine hummed to herself as she walked to the Graphics hall to finish out the afternoon.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Notes: A great big giant I'M SORRY for the super long delay in updates. The semester is really picking up and I'm having trouble finding time to sleep, let alone write. I hope you guys like this chapter! Angst angst angst! And as usual, reviews = love! :)

* * *

"Oh, these are nice! What do you think, too heavy for early winter?"

Meg was holding up a pair of wool-lined black boots with yellow embroidery stitched up the sides. The girls were at the Winston Town Centre, the only mall within a four-town radius, luckily only one town away from Maple River. They had been there for a few hours already and Meg easily had enough clothes to restock her entire closet by now. Christine had to hand it to her, the girl sure could shop!

"I really like those, and they go with that black coat you got in the last store. Hun, it's likely going to be freezing when you go, so having warm shoes will not be problem. Get them!"

"True, true. Okay, I will. I'm so excited to wear all of this. Oh my gosh, I can't believe it's only two weeks away!! Ethan is getting a little anxious to see all of his old friends. That's all he talks about right now."

The girls stood at the counter while Meg purchased the boots and then left the store, heading to the food court. They had arrived at the mall as soon as it had opened, having eaten a late breakfast. So a late lunch was now in order and it would be nice to set their growing collection of bags down for a while.

"So you guys seem to be spending a great deal of time together. I mean, I hardly see you anymore. That's a good sign, right?"

Christine had been alone in the apartment for the past few nights, but surprisingly wasn't having too much trouble sleeping. She hoped it was because the police were getting closer and closer to finding the burglar and that Meg was only a simple phone call away.

"Oh, Christine, he's amazing. It's only been a few weeks, so it's hard to say where this is going just yet, but we really click! It really is nice to be with someone who doesn't think that dancing is silly, who really understands the hard work that goes into it. And he really gets me, too. He doesn't think I ramble too much and he's just as obsessed with those stupid reality shows that I watch as I am…"

"Yeah, that last reason clearly says you're made for each other."

Meg elbowed her friend in the ribs and set her bags down in a chair at the table they arrived at.

"Whatever! Okay, so do you want to go first or me? I think I'm feeling like a slice of pizza."

Christine, setting down her share of Meg's shopping bags in the neighboring chair, piped up, "I was just thinking the same thing. Why don't I go get it and you wait here. Water, or Sprite?"

"Hmm…let's go with Sprite. I'm getting pizza, I might as well throw the concept of healthy out the window this time."

Meg winked at Christine as she settled into her chair, handing her friend a few dollars before Christine walked over to the pizza place.

Christine's stomach growled as she waited in line to get the food. Her mind had started to wander back to Erik when she heard a familiar voice gliding towards her.

"My agent thinks I'll be getting a callback by Monday. I'm hoping it'll be from the new show opening up on Broadway, it will get the most notice."

"So what happens then? Will Erik come with you?"

"Well, he really wants to get engaged soon. He just loves me so much. So I bet he'll propose as soon as I get an offer. He has so much going on here that obviously he can't come with me. But honestly, Jillian, I don't want him there anyways. He doesn't like to go anywhere cool, so he'd probably put a damper on my time there."

"Wow, Liv! Engaged! Have you picked out rings yet?"

Olivia's friend was hanging on her every word.

"I've left several photos in his email and we've talked endlessly about it. I hope that he proposes by taking me to a store and letting me choose. It would be perfect and I could get exactly what I want."

The girls continued talking as they unknowingly past Christine, who was listening with rapt attention. _Engaged? He didn't seem so excited to talk about it when I heard her bring it up. But that was probably just because he didn't want an audience to that particular conversation. Well, if that's the kind of girl he wants, I really shouldn't feel defeated. I was never in his league._

Christine arrived back at their table with a troubled expression etched across her face. Meg immediately noticed the change in her demeanor and wasted no time working to get it out of her.

"What happened? Why do you look like that?"

"I just…I just saw Olivia."

"McAdams? I'm not surprised. I heard she basically lives here since she pretty much hates living in Maple River."

"She's been auditioning for Broadway shows. She said…I heard her say to her friend that her and Erik are going to get engaged soon."

"Oh." Meg instantly understood.

"I don't understand it. He seems like such a good guy. Brooding and slightly angry, but Meg, you should see him in a good mood. He just doesn't fit in the same category as her. She's so shallow and mean. But she was telling her friend about how much he adores her and them talking about rings…it just doesn't make sense."

"What do you mean? If they love each other, it would make perfect sense."

"But she tried to talk to him about looking at engagement rings when I was there, during our first meeting. He was furious at her. He wouldn't talk about it at all, I even doubted that they'd continue to date for much longer. They seemed like such polar opposites of each other."

"Christine, men are crazy. We will never understand what goes on in their stupid heads. I'm sorry, sweetie."

"Ugh, it's okay. It's not like I had any stake in the deal anyways. I was just window shopping."

"You know, I wouldn't take everything Olivia says as pure fact. You said yourself she's shallow. I wouldn't put it past her to fudge the truth a bit. You know she'd never try and act vulnerable in front of her friends. Don't give up sweetie. You never know what the future may hold."

Meg reached out to touch Christine's arm, hoping that the day's events didn't cloud over the rest of Christine's week.

"You're right. I mean, it's not like I can actually give up anyways since I have to work with him until at least December. I just hope he doesn't get so friendly that he asks for advice about that."

Christine shuddered at the thought. "But that's unlikely since he also doesn't seem the type to appear vulnerable in front of anyone."

Meg shrugged. "Whatever, it ain't over till it's over! Plus, you've been working with him a lot lately, what's going on there? A month ago you would have just been disappointed in his choice, but it seems like you've got more invested in the game now. Spill!"

"Meg, it isn't like anything is going on. I'm working for him. Work runs late so we eat while we continue working. We work at the same school, so we see each other sometimes throughout the week. It makes sense. I just tend to see it as more than that since I'm asking for trouble."

Christine sighed, a little embarrassed at how openly she was sharing with Meg. She just missed her friend so much lately, a little girl talk was necessary for her sanity.

"We did run into a problem this past week though. Remember how I said a few days ago how we went to dinner the night before and lunch the next day?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the lunch was as an 'I'm sorry' for what happened at the dinner."

"What? What happened?"

Christine shook her head, feeling the tears begin to well.

"We were actually having a great time. Laughing and teasing each other…Shut up, it was really nice!" She rolled her eyes at Meg's shocked expression. "So I don't know exactly what happened, but he said something about…about Mom and Dad."

"Oh no, what did he say?" Meg could see where this was going.

"He was just making a harmless joke and it caught me so off guard. I kind of freaked out and ran to the bathroom. I couldn't stop crying so I was in there forever and when I came out, oh you should have seen him. He looked like he'd seen a ghost!"

Christine shook her head, so ashamed with herself. "He didn't understand, of course. But I was so shaken up that I couldn't explain. It was awful. I completely ruined the night because I got so caught up with myself."

"Sweetheart, you didn't do anything wrong! It was just unfortunate."

"Pssh, that's the understatement of the year."

"No really, though. You can't be expected to be over something like that so fast, especially with all that's going on right now."

"Stop right there. I can't do this. I don't want to talk about this." Christine held her hand up as she halted the conversation.

"Okay, yeah, of course. Why don't we go look for some fancy dresses and crazy masks!"

"Beautiful idea." Christine smiled at her best friend. She was so thankful for someone who understood her.

The girls spent the rest of the afternoon shopping for gowns for the showcase. Meg, of course, found something after just an hour of searching. Being tall, thin, and blonde, Meg was a prime candidate for the clothes hanging on the racks. She finally decided on a strapless, mermaid-style dress in such a deep purple it was almost black. The dark gems glittering under the bust line and where the dress flared out at the knee were a nice palette for finding a mask with similar décor. Meg's brilliant hair would stand out nicely against the darkness. She paired the slinky dress with a warm, charcoal fur capelet, since the weather would certainly fight the thin fabric of the gown.

Christine was not so lucky in finding a dress, and would have to make plans to visit the mall again at another date. She was only slightly perturbed, knowing that expecting to find a dress easily was only wishful thinking, but she could not properly search for a mask until she had found a dress.

Christine and Meg finally left the mall around dinnertime and collapsed when they reached the house. Christine made some soup for them and they relaxed together, watching some of Meg's favorite reality TV until Christine's eyes began to droop. She eventually woke Meg up and sent her off to bed and then slowly staggered into her own room, changing into a large t-shirt and then burying herself underneath her covers. Christine was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Monday morning couldn't come soon enough for Erik. He spent the weekend locked in his studio at home, trying to find the force behind his current work-in-progress. Like always, the song would not be molded, and it continued to thrive on its own. Feeling frustrated with the way the week had unfolded with his interaction with Christine, Erik fought the nature of the song all weekend, hoping gain control over something in his life.

Even Olivia was wearing him down. Luckily, she spent most of Saturday at the mall with her stupid friend, but she would not shut up about her auditions. Hopefully someone would call soon or he may have to buy her way into a show.

So on Monday, Erik was glad for a fresh start to the week. Christine was supposed to email him a few mockups for banners, posters and invitations, and he hoped he would catch her in the café at least once.

Erik could not hide his satisfaction when the email he had been waiting for popped eagerly into his inbox that morning. He quickly looked over Christine's work and immediately printed the pages so that he could write his notes on them. Christine was certainly gifted, everything flowed beautifully together and he knew that she had fully grasped his intentions for this showcase. _She really is everything I thought she was_.

Erik spent the morning critiquing the mockups and setting up the schedule for the night of the showcase. It would be a full night, hundreds of students had shown interest in performing. Now that all the time slots had been filled and the designs were one retouch away from being ready for print, all that was really left was working with the students to make sure their pieces were near perfection.

It was nearing noon when Erik was sending out emails to his students to verify their lesson times for the rest of the week and Nadir waltzed into his office.

"Erik! Glad to see you're making yourself busy. Hope you've got some time to go over our new proposals."

"Ah, Nadir. It is great to see you. Let me finish up here and I'll be right with you."

Erik quickly sent out the last of his messages and stood up from his desk. He found Nadir studying the printed pages of Christine's mockups.

"These are nice, Erik. Did you do this?"

"Of course not, they're the work of someone much more…talented."

"What? Did I say something?" Nadir's dark brow creased, confused at Erik's reaction to the compliment.

"Oh no, it's nothing, of course. I was just…thinking of something else." Erik cleared his throat. "Christine Daae did those, she's a graphic design teacher here. Her work was exactly what I was looking for."

"_A musical masquerade. Appropriate dress required._ Hmm…a very interesting theme. Am I invited?"

"It's a college music showcase, Nadir, it isn't anything special. But yes, I guess. It is the first week of December."

The caught up with each other for a few minutes before Erik led them to Notes & Paint for lunch. Nadir's relationship with is current girlfriend was becoming serious and he was planning to propose soon. Erik had met Lara once and was amused at how different the woman who captured Nadir's heart was from his friend. She was very petite with such fair skin that it looked paper-thin. Her mousy brown hair hung limp in face and she wore thick square glasses. Lara was a veterinarian, and owned several animals herself. Nadir, a tall, dark-skinned towering man was kind at heart but looked fearsome at first sight. Erik could imagine Lara's furry friends cowering when Nadir visited her at home.

Nadir was telling Erik about his proposal ideas when Christine quietly slipped into the café. She instantly spotted Erik in the back sitting with a man she did not recognize. Deliberating for a moment, Christine decided to go and say hello. She was almost upon them when Erik looked up to meet her gaze. Her breath caught in her throat as his eyes met hers and that small smile turned up the corners of his mouth. She smiled in return as she reached their table.

"Hi there. I just wanted to say hello before I got my lunch."

"Hello, Christine. It's nice to see you today. Allow me to introduce you to my best friend and business partner, Nadir Kahn. Nadir, this is Christine Daae, the designer of those pages you were eyeing this morning."

Nadir smiled wide at Christine, showing a large set of sparkling white teeth that caught Christine off-guard.

"It's nice to meet you, Christine. And might I say that your work is beautiful."

"Oh, thank you so much." She breathed. "It is so nice to meet you as well."

Nadir eyed Erik and then turned back to her. "Christine, will you settle a bet for us? Erik believes that a woman being proposed to will only care what a diamond ring looks like and will care less about the delivery. I think that the ring and the proposal are equally important. As a woman, what say you?"

Christine's heart froze in her chest and she found it more difficult to breathe. "Oh, well, not that I have any experience in the matter but, personally I feel as though the delivery is most important. The ring is just an object, but how the couple feels about each other is what really matters."

Christine could see Erik deep in thought as she explained herself and she became nervous. "But you never know, each woman is different. I've heard some girls like to pick out their ring because the design is so important. It all depends on the woman, I guess."

"A very sound response. Thank you." Nadir gave Christine another warm smile but it was not enough to warm her wounded spirit.

"Yes, well, glad I could…help. I'll leave you both to your lunch. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Kahn. Erik…"

She nodded at them both, turning away before Erik's thoughtful expression could affect her any more. Christine decided against ordering food and just grabbed a soda before going back to her office. She breathed heavily as her tears fought to break through. _It's true. He's going to propose to her. Why do I care so much?! _She slid herself down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, spending the remainder of her break lost in the gloom of her seemingly pointless future.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Notes: So I've been feeling guilty about how long I went before without an update so here's another one! I'm honestly going to try to update about once a week...hope that pleases everybody!  
A little more angst and a little more excitement this time. Look for a lot of Olivia next!

* * *

After lunch, Erik and Nadir focused on more business-related matters. They were being commissioned by a company in California to design the plans for a new hotel. Nadir had already met with the company and had brought the specifications with him. Erik had several months to design the first roughs which was good since he would be busy these last few months of the year. As a natural-born designer, Erik sketched when inspired and already had a few designs to work with so the initial start would not be terribly difficult.

Nadir had been looking at the plaques along Erik's office wall as he explained the last of the requirements for the new designs. After standing in silence for a few minutes, Nadir ventured into more dangerous territory.

"That Christine is quite a beauty. She seems like she would be easy to work with."

"Yes." Erik coughed a little at the mention of her. "She is very talented and has easily understood my vision for the showcase."

"She seemed a little upset at the mention of my proposal. A little stiff, wouldn't you say?"

"Well, I have made her quite upset lately, so she probably misunderstood the meaning of your question. I make her uncomfortable. She may have thought there was an underlying question in our conversation."

Nadir turned around, staring at Erik incredulously.

"What the hell are you talking about? She came right up to us and was clearly pleased to see you. I was even thinking about how I fail to see Olivia look that pleased."

"Look, we've had a few…conversations. She has some bad history that I don't know anything about and I've made her really upset on accident a few times. Plus, I scare the hell out of everyone. I just screwed everything up."

"Erik, is…something going on with you two? Are you cheating on Olivia?"

"Don't be stupid, Nadir. To cheat you have to have another willing participant, and I do not have that." Erik scowled at the commission papers.

Nadir gave him a sideways glance. "Yeah, that's exactly what I thought. There _is_ something! She's a good pick, my friend."

"Nadir, I think you're forgetting a few key factors," He started to count each problem on his fingers. "She is no way interested because we just work together. I am already dating a foul excuse for a woman. Obviously, the mask will keep her away. Oh, and did I mention that she could not possibly be interested? She is a wonderful person, Nadir. Of course she looked pleased earlier, she has a kind heart. End of story." He hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

Nadir stayed silent, knowing there was more.

"You're going to make me say all of it aren't you?"

His dark friend nodded slowly, a knowing smile spreading across his face.

"Fine." Erik took a deep breath and tried to find a way to explain. "I've known who she was for about a year…and have been keeping tabs on her. Don't look at me like that. She's just such a different creature than I'm used to. She has a natural gift and unlike Ms. McAdams, ceases to let it go to her head. She continues to keep to herself and is so clumsy and nervous, I can't help but hang in the shadows waiting until she needs rescuing."

"The shadows, Erik? Really?" Nadir knew his friend was reclusive at times, his history left no other option, but wasn't he aware that Erik literally waited in the darkness.

"You wouldn't understand. In the short time we've actually been interacting with each other, she's fainted and lost the fight with food on two separate occasions." He chuckled at the memory. "She even carries my handkerchief with her because I certainly don't need it as much as she seems to. Christine is an accident waiting to happen, and I am trying desperately to catch her every time."

Erik took a weighted breath and looked pleadingly at his best friend.

"Nadir, I don't have a good enough reason to want her, but I do. There's a pull with her and I should ignore it, but I can't. A year is long enough to wait for someone, I have to know if I stand a chance. That is the reason she is doing the designs for my showcase. It was the only way I could find a sure way to speak to her on multiple occasions. If it wasn't about her, I could easily have done the designs myself. This is my only chance."

Nadir watched Erik slump into the plush leather sofa and rub his fingers on his temple. He had seen his friend through tough times in his life and knew better than anyone that Erik deserved happiness.

"My friend, there is no judgment here. I only worry that you have involved two very different women in your life. You must choose one, or it will haunt the path you choose. It is obvious whom your heart wants, so why do you keep Olivia?"

Erik muttered something inaudible. Nadir quickly moved closer and sat in the chair opposite him.

"What was that?"

"Olivia is…the…backup."

"The _what_?"

"Olivia wants to get married. She's pushing me for an engagement and I know why she's stayed this long, but at least it is someone. I only have until December with Christine and if nothing happens, I know Olivia will…agree."

"I understand. But Erik, that is a disaster waiting to happen."

"Humph,_ I'm_ a disaster waiting to happen."

"Choose one. Erik, there are consequences when playing with fire."

Nadir stood up, then. He put a strong hand on Erik's shoulder and bid his friend farewell.

"This is my cue to leave. I'm supposed to meet Lara at work since her car is in the shop. Ah, maybe I should propose _inside_ the new car I buy for her! The thing is a piece of junk anyways and I can't have my bride driving around in something less than perfect. Anyways, good evening, my friend, and good luck."

With one final nod, Nadir strode out the door, leaving Erik on the couch. Erik knew his friend was right, but he was dreading having to do it. The risk could leave him utterly alone and he knew Olivia would not back down without a fight. He spent the next hour contemplating his options and still had not come to an acceptable conclusion when it came time for him to leave for home.

* * *

As the weather began to pick up, the school put standing heaters directly outside Notes & Paint so that the flow of customers wouldn't diminish. Christine, who loved both the nipping weather and the comforting warmth of the heaters, chose to sit outside on Tuesday and enjoy the contradicting temperatures. She was finalizing the midterms for her classes and clutched a warm mocha latte as she jotted a few more ideas on the newest version of the test.

Christine was immensely comfortable where she sat, hoping to get over her funk from yesterday. Meg and Ethan had passed by earlier, grabbing salads to take back and eat on the dance room floor together.

Erik, a glutton for trouble, couldn't pass up a "chance" meeting at the café and so he hurried out as soon as he could manage. The moment he rounded the corner and caught sight of the café, his breath hitched awkwardly in his throat. There she sat, her brown coat buttoned securely around her, a thick navy scarf wrapped warmly about her neck. Her glorious curls were tucked into a messy braid, and Erik could see the happy calm surround her as she inhaled the warmth of her hot drink. _At least acting surprised to see her won't be so hard, she catches me off guard no matter how prepared I think I feel_. He let out a long breath and began walking towards her before he lost his nerve.

"Good afternoon, Christine."

"Oh, Erik," she breathed. "What a nice surprise." She was determined not to be a grouch about the whole 'Engagement' problem, knowing that a friendship with this man was better than nothing at all. So in the spirit of friendship, she cocked her head and gave him a silly smile. "Fancy meeting you here."

Erik couldn't help but smile at her, she was just so irresistibly adorable. Especially with the way her smile paired with her nose, red with the chill. He was also pleased with the absence of stuttering, maybe she was getting more comfortable with him. _A man could hope._

"What are you working on here? And why in this weather?"

"Are you kidding, I love this weather! But that's probably just because it's the coldest it can get before I'm not allowed outside anymore. Icy sidewalks and me just don't mix."

"Hmm, well then I guess I will just have to be around to keep picking you back up. I _do_ have some expertise in the matter, you know." Erik winked at her, praying this last statement was not too much.

"Oh God, I was hoping you would forget about that!" Christine's face flushed pink to match her nose. "But really though, I may have to take you up on that. Maybe I could survive one winter without a new injury."

Warmth flooded him at her easy response. He was just about to ask to sit with her when he was interrupted.

"E! E! Erik!!" Warm feeling gone.

Erik turned in time to see a burst of flaming red hair as Olivia leapt into his arms.

"Oh, E! I was cast, I was cast!!"

"Olivia, that's great news." His forced smile did not register with Olivia, her spirits too high to notice.

"I'm the lead in the new show I wanted! I'm getting everything I ever wanted! And I leave on Sunday!"

That news perked him right up.

"Wow, so soon. But it will be wonderful, Liv, really."

"I know! Well, I've got to go tell Claire. She's visiting with that ugly T.A. she's dating in the engineering hall. Ick…I hope _that_ doesn't last long. Okay, anyways…gotta go! Ciao!!"

Before he could say anything more, she was gone, her fuchsia scarf flying along behind her.

Stunned at the quick turn of events, Erik was frozen where he stood. It was only when he heard the petite clearing of a throat that Erik realized that Christine had seen the entire event.

"Wow, that was…incredible. I've never seen someone so small, move so fast."

Erik, unsure what to say, turned to see a wicked smile lighting up Christine's face. "Like lightning!"

"Watch out, Broadway," he whispered.

"Why don't you sit with me, you seem a little shaken." Christine's silly mood was quickly overshadowed by her concern for Erik.

Lowering himself into the chair, Erik began to grasp the reality of what was happening.

"Erik, are you going to be okay? Err…she won't be gone…forever…?" Her sore attempt at caring for his relationship was not very convincing, but Erik didn't seem to notice.

"She'll be thousands of miles away. I'll likely not see her again until…wow…until Christmas."

"Oh, that must not work with your proposals plans, huh?" She took a long swig of her piping hot latte, glad for the distraction of the scalding liquid burning her tongue.

"Ha! I'm not marrying that woman!" Erik's outburst startled her along with the group at the table nearest them. "Olivia is not at all my idea of the ideal wife."

"Not to be rude, but you _are_ dating her. She must have something that you like, or you wouldn't have chosen her."

"She has a misguided interest in the man who trained her voice and made her a celebrity. The moment she wishes it, she'll leave. I am once again just a spectator enjoying a few of the spoils."

Now _that_ was a surprise. Christine noticed that her mouth was hanging open at his confession. _Not getting married? Not even interested? Did I hear insecurity in that silken tenor?_ With renewed strength, she tried her hand at something a little more risky.

"Erik," she reached out and lightly touched his arm. "I'm one hundred percent positive that you can have whomever you want and never ever have to be the spectator."

_Never _ever_? What, never wasn't a good enough word on its own?_ She hoped he would not see how her cheeks flamed. She knew she sounded stupid, but frankly, she'd said more embarrassing things in front him.

She looked up to see Erik staring at her intently. She instinctively reached up to touch her face, nervous that there was some lingering foam that she hadn't noticed before. Finding nothing out of place she met his stare, confused.

"Thank you, Christine. Thank you." He looked so intense, she was sure she would crack under his gaze. "Come see me later, I really enjoy spending time with you. You're fun."

Erik tapped the table twice with his knuckles and then quickly got up and left, leaving her sitting dumbfounded behind him.

_What the hell just happened?!_


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Notes: Oh Olivia, must you ruin everything? Not for long! Hope you enjoy this chapter, things should start to pick up pace after this! But you never know...Christine is a glutton for trouble, you never know what she could get herself into...muahaha! :D

Also: I do believe I have a thing for cliffhangers *wink wink*

* * *

He paced his office nervously, his energy so high that he felt like running instead of pacing.

_What was I thinking! More importantly, what was she thinking?! What am I doing? This is good, this is good. I put myself out there, that's the only way I'll ever know if she feels anything._

"Who am I kidding?" He grumbled to himself.

_There's no way she's interested. I just screwed myself. Maybe not? Shit, I don't know!_

The news of Olivia's imminent departure had left Erik trying to appear more cool and aloof than he had felt, feeling this was his chance to plant the foundation of something more personal with Christine. In his rush of excitement, Erik had spoken with Christine much more casually than he had ever done before.

_I've scared her off for sure. I'm going to have to finish the designs myself because she will most definitely remove herself from ever having to see me again. Oh God._

He had been walking back and forth between the couch and his desk so much that he was likely burning a path in the carpet. It had been 3 hours since his bizarre change of behavior outside the café and every few minutes or so, Erik had started towards the door, intent on explaining himself to Christine, though chickening out as soon as he reached the doorframe.

His pacing came to an abrupt end, however, when there was a knock on his door.

* * *

When Erik had left her table, Christine sat in shock for a few minutes, trying to remember exactly _what_ he had just said to her.

"Come see me later? Yeah I think he definitely said that. But, you're fun? I _had_ to have imagined that…" She was whispering low to herself, sorting out the unusual event.

Erik had looked strangely high on some emotion, and had clearly revealed more about himself than she had ever heard from him before. It seemed that when they were together, he always managed to get her talking, so his behavior took her by sweet surprise.

Unable to concentrate on her prior mission of finishing the midterm exam, Christine packed up her bag, and walked back to her classroom, briskly rubbing her hands together as she went. Her classes were going well and it just so happened that today she was doing one of her many periodical hands-on tests, so unfortunately she was mostly free to think for the remainder of her afternoon.

Christine's final class ended over an hour before it normally got out, the students handling the test with ease. Having pondered Erik's last request the entire afternoon, Christine felt a small thrill at the early release, knowing exactly where she was headed next.

The elevator ride up to his floor had her nervously tapping her foot and strumming her fingers along her jeans, and when the doors opened, she practically burst out into the hallway. With each step she took, her confidence dropped drastically and by the time she reached her destination, her head was light for lack of blood. Taking several deep breaths, Christine lifted her small hand and attempted to give a strong knock on the door.

"Come in," a gruff voice sounded from the inside.

Her nerves now wildly flaring, she stepped cautiously into Erik's office and came face to face with his wide, nervous eyes.

"Christine," His voice was scratchy and rough and she felt a shiver run down her spine at the sound of her name on his lips. "What…what are you doing here?"

"Oh…hmm…I thought I heard you say 'Come see me', yes? Plus, I thought we should go over your critiques for the, um, mockups." Her nervous laugh gave her away, though she _had_ made it this far, so tried not to let her poor delivery overpower her small triumph.

"Ha, yes, I did say that." He cleared his throat, trying to sound more at ease. "And I meant it. And you're right, we're close to being print-ready with the mockups, so it is good that you're here."

"Okay, let's get to it, shall we?"

Grateful that the conversation wasn't overly awkward, Christine got right down to business, glad to be able to spend more time with him. The pages were still scattered across his desk and she leaned over the table to inspect Erik's notes.

"I…I love what you've done with bringing the mask into the main elements of all the pieces. I'd like to tweak the complimenting colors a bit and move the type just a little to the left on this one." Erik had come to stand next her, pointing out his suggestions.

"You're right, I was thinking a gold color might look good here. Plus a little embossing over it, maybe."

"That'll be a nice touch, I like it."

He was looking at her when she grinned up at him, and she saw a flicker of happiness cross his face before he settled back into his normal seriousness. Suddenly, he reached his hand up to her face, hesitantly holding it in mid-air near her cheek. Then, in a small, gentle movement, Erik pulled a wavy lock of her hair away from its position around her hoop earring. He almost tucked it behind her ear but found that he liked it as it hung lightly about her face.

Christine flushed slightly at the delicate gesture, loving the feel of his fingers brushing so close to her face..

"You had a curl tangled in your earring."

"Oh…thank you."

Mockups forgotten, Erik continued to gaze down at her, drowning in the depths of her jade eyes, marveling at the gold flecks there that he hadn't noticed before. He could hear her quickening breath and hoped it was for the same reason that his had picked up pace. Christine opened her mouth to say something when –

"There you are! Why aren't you answering my messages, I've been calling and texting you all afternoon!"

Olivia's piercing voice made Erik and Christine jump, pulling them out of the small trance that had enchanted them. Christine instantly took a step away from him, aware that Olivia would notice if she continued to hover so close.

"Olivia. What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" Erik spoke through gritted teeth.

"Baby, I wanted to take you out to dinner. Don't you want to? I only have five more days left until I have to go." Her pout, intended to make him putty in her hands, only infuriated him. "I'm sorry, but this is a _private_ conversation. Do you think you could…like…go?"

Olivia had focused her eyes on Christine. The girl cowered under her stare and started stuttering as she backed away from Erik.

"S..s..sorry. We were just…just going over some designs f…for the showcase. I'm leaving."

Christine had reached her bag and looked to Erik, apologetic eyes reaching out to him. That was enough for Erik, he wouldn't have Olivia treating this perfect creature like that.

"Olivia, what the hell do you think you're doing? Christine and I are working and you have no right to talk to her like this."

Olivia, clearly upset with the way Erik reacted to her, immediately worked a different angle.

"I'm sorry, E.E., I just…I guess I just want you all to myself during my last few days." Then she looked to the scared brunette at the door and spoke in a slow, childish tone that confused Christine. "This is a very important time for us, do you think that maybe you could be a doll and leave us alone? Thank you _so_ much." A smile that did not reach her eyes crept over her face, and Christine felt disturbed by the back-handed sweetness.

Christine let out a nervous sigh and nodded. "Yeah, um yes. I'll just be on my way." She nodded quickly and rushed out of the office before either of them could see the wetness on her eyes.

"Now that _that's_ out of our hair, we can go to dinner…or somewhere else." Olivia smirked at him and sauntered over, making a wide berth so that he could take in her as she approached him. Erik did not fail to notice. If there was anything Olivia was great at, it was using her looks to get what she wanted.

Erik watched as she came toward him, her white coat hugging the soft curves of her body. Her fuchsia scarf hung low, the sequins glinting off the soft light of the office, complimenting the color of her blazing hair. Olivia was a tall woman and she stood almost eye-to-eye with Erik, his more primal instincts alighting a fire in his eyes.

Erik shut his eyes in an attempt to ware off the natural desire building up inside of him, and tried his best to talk sensibly to her.

"Liv, I really needed to get some more work done with her. I could have met you in an hour if you hadn't been so…so rude."

She keenly slid her hands up his chest and began placing feathery kisses along the unmasked side of his face. Olivia could see him losing the battle within himself and she smiled, the victor.

"Come with me, there are much better things we can be doing that don't involve anything work-related." Her usually high-pitched voice was low, feeding his desire that he so desperately wished away.

As if unable to control his own movements, Erik marveled when his legs began to move, following her out the door and down to the parking lot. It was once he was in the car, separate from her while she drove her own ostentatious vehicle that he snapped back to reality.

_No._

Arriving minutes later at his home, Erik stepped out of the Cayenne, determined not to bend to her wishes any more this evening or the rest of her time remaining in Maple River.

Olivia was waiting for him inside the house, lounging on the chaise in his library.

"Now, where were we?" She purred and rose to greet him.

"Olivia, stop."

She balked at his reaction, stunned that he was able to deny her after she had so cleverly worked him into a frenzy of need.

"Liv, I should not have let Christine leave after the way you spoke to her. She is very…valuable to me, and I was stupid to allow you to speak to her in that manner. I have to go back."

"Go back? Erik, everyone has left for the evening, even your _precious_ Christine, I would imagine." She bit out the word, enraged that after her blatant display of affection that _she_ could still be on his mind. "No, you can talk to her tomorrow. In the meantime, I thought we were going to _enjoy_ our last moments together…?"

Erik sighed, frustrated. He raked his hand through his hair and stomped aggressively into the kitchen, eager to get away from Olivia. She followed him.

"What is the matter with you?!"

"I think you should leave, Liv."

"Excuse me?"

". And don't bother coming back, I'm not interested."

"_What_?!" A very different fire now burned in Olivia's eyes.

"You heard me, now get out!" He growled at her.

He expected her to storm out, screaming profanities as he went, but she did something very different.

She began laughing. "Oh I get it! You're trying to catch me off-guard so that you can completely surprise me with the ring. I promise to say yes, no matter what! So where is it, give it to me, gimme!"

Olivia rushed toward him and began diving through his pockets, trying to find the gem she expected. This angered Erik even further and he caught her wrists, granting him a shocked look from the red-head.

"Erik, what are you do-"

"There is no ring, you selfish swine. Now get out of my house before I throw you out." His eyes were flat black in his fury and Olivia shuddered in fear.

She ripped her arms out of his grasp and nursed her throbbing wrists, foreign tears welling in her eyes.

Without saying another word, Olivia darted out of the house. Erik could hear her tires squeal as she sped down the drive and onto the street, away from the madness of his anger.

His heart beat rapidly in his chest and he gripped the counter as he tried to calm himself. The black fury that so easily shut out Olivia's tempting distractions started to fade and he truly began to grasp his situation. No Olivia, only Christine. He had followed Nadir's advice and successfully rid himself of his toxic relationship. Could it have been that easy to make the right choice? He could only hope.

Elated, Erik ran out to his Porsche, hoping to make it back to the school in time to apologize to Christine before she left. It was only 4:30, there was a still a chance he could make it.

* * *

Christine had dropped her folders of paper three times on her way out to her car. She was so distracted by Olivia's previous commanding presence in Erik's office that she couldn't concentrate to even get out to her car in one piece.

_At this rate, it will be midnight before I get home._

Glad to have been able to get out of his office before bursting into tears, Christine had quickly composed herself in the elevator, trying desperately to remember that her only claim to him was work and possibly friendship. Though that did not stop the screaming voices in her head, Christine managed to keep the wetness from spilling over and hoped to put the instance behind her.

As she juggled her folders in her arms, she couldn't help but think back to the tender moment they had shared before Olivia had ruined everything. She felt the familiar shiver as she recalled his long fingers on her curly strands.

_I keep feeling like there's something there. Does he feel something too? God, why can't you make anything simple?_

The folders threatened to escape her grasp once again and just as she thought she had them firmly in her arms she let them fall, for Erik was leaning against her car.

"Erik?"

"Oh, let me help you with those."

He was next to her in three strides and instantly bent to gather the scattered papers.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with…Olivia?"

"I wanted to apologize for how rude she was, it was unacceptable. I thought you might like to know that I…I ended it."

Once again, Christine dropped the papers she had just picked up. _Come on!_

"W-w-what?"

"I just couldn't see it going anywhere anymore. She's leaving town anyways and I think we'll be better for it." He looked at her, nervous for what he was about to say next. "And it's hard to see the merit in someone like her when one is surrounded by you. The differences are intoxicating."

Christine's hopes, instantly soaring from his words, plummeted back down at his final statement.

"I know how different we are." She whispered. "It is hard to compete with someone has incredibly beautiful as her." She took the papers he had collected from him and moved to stand.

Erik was confused, that was not what he had meant at all! He caught up to her quickly, and seized her shoulder, turning her to face him. Her downtrodden face prevented her from looking at him and he quickly lifted her chin with a slight nudge of his finger.

"Christine, that's not what I meant at all. Olivia is so…rude and high-strung. She only cares about what she wants and what people think of her. And you are…well, you are so different from that. I…" He took a deep breath. "I can't seem to find a flaw in you."


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Notes: We're almost there (the start of the good stuff, not the end)! I hope I haven't lost too many people while building up the story. Your reviews have been so nice, they're such a treat! This one might be a little stale, but I'll be making up for that a little later. :)

* * *

A week later and she was still floating on cloud nine.

Christine felt brighter that week than she had in a long time. Despite the cold and surprise rain showers that had the entire town shivering, Christine couldn't be bothered. She had gone over the course of her and Erik's relationship over and over again in her mind and couldn't understand how he could not see every one of her faults. She had accidentally insulted him a few times, been a complete basket case, and walking had proved the most difficult task when she was around him. How could this man see perfection in her?

_Calm down, it's just business. He thinks I work well_ in business_. What he said meant nothing for his personal feelings for me._

_But they could, right? No, no. That would be reaching. Our relationship is only business and anything more than that was just happy chance. Must. Not. Read. Too. Much. Into. This._

_Oh, hell! Squee!_

The rest of that week had continued much like normal. After Erik's confession in the parking lot, Christine had quietly thanked him and with a big smile, got into her car and drove away. Erik, already convinced that Christine was the one for him, felt elated at her reaction. You can't fake a smile that big!

Trying not to be too hasty, Erik did not go down to the Café for lunch the next day. When he did see her the day after that, he had left only a few minutes available to see her so as to not scare her away. Little did he know, that Christine practically ran down to Notes & Paint everyday after his admission, hoping to see him during her lunch hour.

That weekend, the pair had gone to the Maple River Printing Company, per Erik's request. Picking out the papers and delivery options together, spending hours in the store making sure they got everything just right. All of the advertising for the showcase would be available for pickup the next weekend, and Erik was hoping to spend another Saturday with Christine, putting together the mailings and stringing the banners up throughout the school. He knew that her friend Meg would be leaving to go out of town and Christine was likely to have no plans. He wondered what she would be doing during her Fall Break and was praying she might divulge her plans so that he could find a way to see her.

On Sunday, Olivia's departure, Erik was nervous that she might barge in and try to weasel her way back into his life before she left. But to his surprise, she did not. He _had_ noticed that on Saturday, while he had been out with Christine, Olivia must have come back to retrieve the few things she had stashed at his house, and he made a mental note to have his locks changed.

When Monday arrived, Erik awoke with a sigh of relief. Olivia was officially out of town, out of his life, and Christine had not changed her demeanor at all since his confession last week. He made a point to see Christine both Monday and Tuesday during lunch, trusting their growing relationship a little more each day. From the outside, it looked like nothing out of the ordinary, but both of them could sense the charge in the air when they were together.

On Wednesday, Christine arrived at the school a little early, having slept soundly the night before. She had been in a good mood this morning and decided to don an adorable brown and burgundy plaid Gatsby hat that coordinated well with the dark red sweater she wore beneath her chocolate coat. Christine had pulled her dark hair into a messy bun at the side of her head, the curls peaking out below her left earlobe. Some skinny jeans and her brown boots finished off the ensemble and Christine was alert and perky as she walked the steps up to the Graphics building.

Today was midterm day, and Christine's shining face was the only happy one in the room as her students dragged themselves into the classroom. She passed out the written portion of the test and made sure there were no questions before letting them start.

"Remember, once you finish the written part, bring it to me and I will give you the hands-on instructions. You will need to retrieve the files from the Graphics server. You have about three hours to finish and you most likely won't even need that much time. Good luck!"

Settling in for three hours of surfing the latest celebrity gossip and researching for her next lesson, Christine sat down at her computer. Before she could get very far, her email alert flashed on the screen and Christine's heart beat a little faster when she saw it was from Erik.

_Christine,_

_I'd like to discuss the plans for when your work comes back from the printers. I hope to see you at lunch, but if that is a problem let me know._

_Sincerely,_

_Erik_

_P.S. I noticed it is a bit windy today. I know how you are a magnet for accidents so try not to blow away._

_P.P.S. That was a joke. Well, mostly a joke._

Trying desperately not to giggle out loud in her silent classroom, Christine quickly pulled up a reply message.

_Erik,_

_Sounds great, I will definitely see you at lunch. Maybe today you will need the handkerchief, and I can finally tease _you_ about something._

_Christine_

She pushed "Send" and off it went. Feeling even more jittery than before, she couldn't help checking and re-checking her email for his response. Of course, Erik was already outside his comfort zone with the first email, so he did not reply to hers.

By the time Christine had given up on her inbox, students had already begun bringing up the first part of their exam. Knowing that now, any shot of her simply researching on the internet without harassing her inbox would be a futile effort, Christine resigned to grading the written midterms instead. The structure would be a nice way to spend the now seemingly endless class time until lunch.

Finding that her students were well-versed in the material, Christine was pleased with the amount of A's she was awarding. For a moment, she was nervous that her test was not hard enough, but she _had_ consulted the veteran teachers when writing it and remembered that her own experience with midterms had similar material. _Maybe I don't suck at everything in life after all? That would be a nice change of pace._

Even with the task of grading papers, the hands of the clock seemed to tick slower, the three hours taking even longer. The moment the clock struck twelve o'clock, Christine was out of her seat and racing down the hall. She tried to slow her pace, but all she could manage was an anxious half-skip. When she arrived at the café, she was surprised to find Erik already seated outside at her favorite table. Not only that, but he had already purchased his food and by the looks of it, hers as well. She could make out a second sandwich placed across the table from him, the visible heat from the warm lunch wafting into the chill air.

Christine started to smile at his kindness when a gust of wind caught her, ripping her hat right off her head. Not looking to Erik, only too aware that he could see what just happened, she darted around searching for where her hat had flown. It was floating down the courtyard and Christine rushed toward it, the hat escaping her grasp just as she believed she had it. Erik was chuckling now and got up to help her catch it, only to find that he too was not quick enough for the evasive hat. As they chased the silly thing around the courtyard, people started to notice the event. It did not help matters that the wind would not cease, and continued to keep the hat airborne and out of their reach. So there they were, too people foolishly running around in front of Notes & Paint, gaining an audience of people astounded to see the masked Mr. De Lorme not only out in public, but behaving in such a manner.

Suddenly, the wind died down and both Erik and Christine lunged for the hat. Unfortunately, the move caused them both to smack into each other head on, causing an audible cracking sound and the two of them to fall backwards.

"OW!" Christine yelped, rubbing her most certainly bruised skull.

Erik's pain was less public, though he did check his mask to insure it was still in place after the fiasco.

The crowd, now laughing at Erik and Christine's finish, clapped lightly and started to disperse. Erik shifted himself closer to Christine and gave her a crooked smile, loving the pathetic scowl written across her face.

"Are you alright?"

"No! And how are _you_ okay? That hurt!"

"I've got a thick skull." There it was again, his charming wink.

Christine laughed at that, her scowl now dissolving into a small pout. She reached for the hat and rearranged it atop her head.

_Good God, you're cute._

"Come on, our lunch is getting cold," he said.

Erik stood up and offered his hand to her, which she took easily.

"Oh, your hand is frozen!"

"Well, I _thought_ I was coming to eat a warm lunch, not chase around a hat in the freezing cold. Had I known about the…delay, I would have put on my mittens."

"You know, I _did_ warn you about blowing away, that applies to your accessories as well."

"Yeah, yeah."

They smiled at each other, Erik's warm hand closing over her small one, rubbing it briskly so that it would thaw. Christine loved the feel of his skin on hers and her thoughts instantly drifted to what more of his skin on hers might feel like. The image took her by surprise and her hand shot of out of his grasp, she couldn't allow herself _those_ types of fantasies.

Erik, feeling slightly let down by her sudden withdraw, took a step back from her and then gestured that they go to where their food was waiting for them. Christine looked up nervously at him and then quickly nodded.

Erik cleared his throat before starting the conversation back up. "I went ahead and got us some lunch, though I didn't know what you wanted to drink. I've seen you with coffee and ice cold soda in this frigid weather, so I bought both."

"That was so…th-thoughtful. I think I'll start with the…um…the coffee. Thank you."

_What the hell? Stuttering? What did I do to make her so nervous?_

_Oh God, I'm stuttering. Shut up, shut up! Stop thinking about those hands. Stop thinking about those long fingers sliding up my – SHUT UP!_

He noticed she was breathing out of her nose, taking a lot of care to try and keep it steady. He became alarmed.

"Are you alright? Maybe we hit heads harder than I thought."

"Oh no, I'm okay." He gave her a long look. "Really, Erik, I'm okay."

"Well…alright. How about we discuss those prints now that things have calmed down? They're due back at the end of the week and I was wondering, if you don't have plans, you might want to conquer it this weekend…?"

"Oh yeah, the prints. Well, I actually can't this weekend."

Erik's face dropped a little and Christine quickly finished.

"Only because I have to help Meg pack for New York and she's helpless without me. But since all of next week is the break, I'm free the whole week starting Monday. Are you available at all during the week?"

He relaxed at her response. _Free all week? There's no way I could find an entire week's worth of excuses to see her…could I?_

"Oh, of course. Monday would work just fine. Would you like me to pick you up and we can drive together? I thought we could spread them out up in my office and do all the work here, where we have room."

In fact, his own home was much more spacious than his office, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

"That sounds nice. We should start in the morning so that we have the whole day to get it done."

Erik smiled at her. She had the best ideas.

"Here," he pulled a small piece of paper and a pen out of his coat pocket. "Why don't you write down your cell number and address. Is nine o'clock okay for you?"

Christine reached for the paper and started to scribble the information on it.

"Yeah, nine is great. I live with Meg in that apartment complex behind the daycare on Lockwood."

"I know the place. My tailor has a house in the subdivision close by."

"Great, so that's that. I'm excited. I hope everything looks perfect!"

"Christine, you did the designs, there's no way it could be anything but."

She flushed. He always treated her with much more respect than she felt she deserved.

They finished their lunch, the conversation drifting to more casual subjects. Christine praised her students' test scores and Erik spoke of Nadir and Lara. It was a much more relaxing atmosphere and both were sorry when their time was up.

"Okay, I've gotta get back. I have another midterm to give out in twenty minutes."

"Keep a hold of that hat. And try and get some ice…for your head." He winced at the thought that he had caused her pain.

"Haha, I will. It doesn't hurt much now. Well, see you on Monday, bright and early!"

She waved at him as she turned and headed back to her classroom. He watched her go, loving the way her jeans hugged her frame. _So lovely_. Sighing once more, he turned to leave as well. Monday would be here before he knew it.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Notes: What's up with my style of updating? I go a week and then 2 days, a week and then 1 day. I think writing a new chapter after a week gets me excited so I have to write another one right away. Hope you like this one, secrets will be revealed very soon! And don't forget - review review review! :)

* * *

"Meg, there is no way you'll be able to take all of this!"

"I can if you sit on the suitcase while I zip it!"

The girls were in Meg's room that Saturday morning, standing in the destruction of clothes, while Meg tried to decide what to bring with her to the city. Needless to say, it was not going well. She wanted to take everything! Christine even had to talk her out of bringing a bikini _just in case_.

"Okay, so what were you _planning_ on bringing?"

"Planning?"

Christine sighed. _Figures_. "Other than shopping for _more_ stuff, you haven't thought about this at _all_?!"

Meg just gave her a sheepish smile.

"Oh my god, okay we're going to have to take a break from packing. We've got to write a list of stuff you need so that you don't get there and realize you don't have enough shirts. I'll call for Chinese, you go get some paper and meet me in the living room."

Christine knew that Meg was not an organized woman, but the depth of that failed to surprise her. If it had been Christine going to New York for a week, she would have had a spreadsheet of outfits based on the day's activities. _Well, maybe I'm a little too organized, but this is ridiculous!_

The girls were hunkered over their list, Meg trying to decide how many coats she could reasonably bring, when the doorbell rang. After they had their drinks, fried rice, a few egg rolls in tow, they climbed back onto the couch to eat. Christine took a long swig of her diet soda and Meg giggled at her.

"What?"

"I'm just laughing at you. I thought that addiction would die down a little, but you drink more in one sip than normal people do in a day!"

"Yeah, yeah. Well at least it isn't alcohol or anything. It's safe!"

"It has aspartame, that's not safe. What about when you have babies? You'll have to give it up!"

Christine smiled sarcastically.

"Ha, it doesn't look like I'll be going through that anytime soon so I'm not really worried about withdrawal symptoms. Though you on the other hand, might have some of that coming for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Ethan doesn't really seem like a fling, you know."

Meg blushed.

"He _is_ a really good guy, isn't he? He told me last night that he really saw us going somewhere. I don't know if he was being cheesy or what, but I eat that romantic stuff up!"

"Ooooh, he's crossed over into the mushy talk. That's a big step."

Meg flung some rice at Christine, who tried to dodge it but couldn't escape a few pieces getting stuck in her hair.

"Anyways," Meg tried to change the subject, "so I'm trying to decide between my black coat or my charcoal grey one. I'm not sure I'm going to have room for both of those and my brown trench."

"Yeah, I think you're right. Well it depends on the type of clothes you'll be wearing with those coats. I'd probably pick the charcoal, just because it seems a little more versatile than black."

They finished their lunch and discussed the rest of Meg's outfits, then got back to work on packing.

"So when exactly are you leaving? I know this weekend, but I don't think you ever told me exactly when." Christine was folding a few turtlenecks, then moved on to gathering scarves.

"Oh, I didn't ever tell you, did I?" Meg checked her watch. "Well, Ethan's going to be picking me up tonight at five so we can get dinner before going to the airport. The flight is only two hours and our plane leaves at eight. We wanted to be able to wake up in the city."

"Holy crap, Meg! You're leaving in four hours and you only started packing now?"

"That's…why I have you…best friend. Have I told you what a wonderful person you are?"

"Save it, we've got to get cracking on this thing! Why don't you go get your toiletry bag together and I'll put all your shoes in a bag."

Meg nodded and hurried out of the room.

"I absolutely have to have the five in the corner by the bookcase." She called from the bathroom.

"Too bad I'm only packing three!" Christine yelled back.

"Dammit, well you have to pack my new ones with the yellow stitching!"

"Duh, now leave me alone and pack!"

They were quiet for a little while, hurrying to get everything done. With Christine's help, they managed to finish and pick up the rest of the mess in under two hours. Christine sent Meg off to shower and then went to get another soda. She popped the can open and then settled onto the couch to watch some TV.

"…_Maple River authorities are on the case. The last attacks were in the Kingsbridge subdivision off of Lockwood road. No one has been seriously injured by the intruders, but they're advising everyone to lock their doors and stay safe…"_

Christine felt like the room was closing in around her. She couldn't catch her breath and the television screen began to blur from the tears clouding her eyes. The reporter's voice became muffled in her roaring ears and Christine felt sick.

Meg came into the room then, towel-drying her wet hair, when she saw Christine frozen on the couch.

"Hey, what's going on? Did they catch those burglars?"

"No." Christine could barely speak over a whisper. "No, they didn't."

"Well what-"

"The attackers are _here_ now. The last report was from the neighborhood across the street." She pointed a shaking finger to the window, the roofs of the homes peaking out from the trees.

"Oh no."

Christine didn't say anything more. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest and her breaths were shallow as she tried to suck in the air.

Meg waited a moment before speaking up again.

"Christine, do you know how many people don't lock their doors?"

Christine flashed dangerous eyes at Meg.

"Do _I_ know? Of course I know! How could I not know?!"

"Sweetie, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to say that we lock our doors. Our chances of getting burglarized go down drastically. You really shouldn't worry."

"Nobody ever worries! That's the problem! Did Mom and Dad worry? Did it do them any good?! NO!"

Meg went to the couch and wrapped her arms around her friend.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know. Honey, if you don't feel safe, why don't you check into a hotel for a few days? You could think of it as a spa weekend or something. Have a few drinks, get a massage and just relax for a few days until this all blows over."

"I don't have the money for that. I…I'll just take some heavy cold medicine and knock myself out."

"Are you sure? I feel bad leaving you like this."

Christine closed her eyes and nodded slowly at Meg, not wanting to meet her friend's worried eyes.

"I'm sure. It will…It'll be fine. There's a silly movie on tonight, I'll just try and calm down and not think about what's going on outside. Look, you should really go get ready. Ethan will be here soon."

Meg hugged Christine a little tighter and then got up.

"Okay. Well I'm just a phone call away if you need me, you know."

"I know. Just go, you don't want your hair to dry like that."

"Oh! You're right!" Meg's hands flew up to her hair and she hurried off to the bathroom. Christine knew the comment would distract her, Meg was always worried about her hair drying funny.

* * *

"Just ten more hours, ten more hours, ten more hours. Not too long. No, no. Just ten hours. It's already been five, I can make it ten more. Ten, ten, ten, ten."

She was rambling. Meg had left with an excited Ethan just a few hours ago, leaving a terrified Christine alone in their apartment. Instead of watching that silly movie, Christine couldn't change the channel away from the news. At one point she got up and took three cold pills, the recommended dosage being just one pill. She waited thirty minutes for the medicine to take effect and nothing. Her adrenaline was too high and the chemicals in her body were just making her delirious instead of sleepy. The minutes ticked by and her emotions ranged from determination to distraught anxiety.

"Oh god, I'm not going to be able to make it. Someone's going to come for me. I'm going to die. No, no. Yes, I'm going to die. I can hear them coming up the stairs. Oh god!"

She was curled up on her couch in a large blanket, her phone, a hammer and a kitchen knife sitting together on the coffee table. All the lights in her apartment were on, and the news was turned down low so that she could hear anything going on outside her door. She couldn't figure out why the room looked like it was shaking until she realized the it wasn't the room that was shaking, it was her.

The clock struck midnight and, in a moment of pure desperation, Christine grabbed her phone and found the only number that might giver her some comfort. She was glad she had logged the number from the email and only hoped that he might answer.

He picked up on the first ring.

"Christine?"

"ERIK!"

"Christine is everything okay?"

Christine laughed. The sound was not light and fun but hard and scary.

"Oh, yeah, no. Not alright. I just wanted to talk to someone. You. I wanted to talk to you. Can you even talk? I bothered you, I shouldn't have called. I'm sorry, I'll go."

"No, no, Christine you aren't bothering me. What's wrong, you sound…different."

Erik was worried. She sounded a little crazy and she was calling him in the middle of the night, something had to be wrong.

"There's just this burglar that's been terrorizing the local towns and now he's _here_ and I'm just, you know, just trying to stay calm. Not really working."

"What do you mean, he's here! Can you see him?"

Erik was scared now too.

"No, no, well I hope not. He's in Maple River and has been intruding in homes where your friend lives. I bet he's in my parking lot or the woods down the road. He's going to break in. I'm scared."

"Christine, is Meg there?"

"No, she left. She's safe. Everybody is safe, but nobody is safe. I'm not safe. Not safe, not safe."

"Have you been drinking?"

"I should, maybe that would make them work. I don't have any alcohol here. Maybe I could go get some. No, no, not safe. Not safe. I took some cold medicine so that I could sleep but it's not working. I don't know why."

He understood now. She was talking so fast, he was struggling to keep up. Maybe if she talked it out, she would calm down.

"Why don't you talk to me a little. Tell me how packing with Meg went."

"I can't talk about that. There are serious issues going on in this town, people could die. People _do_ die! They're coming after me next. But packing was good. Now Meg is safe. I can't call her, she's with Ethan. She said I could call her, but that would be rude. She's having a nice time. But she doesn't have a bikini. I didn't let her. That's good. Bikini's don't keep you warm. Or safe. Not safe. I'm not safe."

"Christine, you are safe. I won't let anything happen to you."

"You can't control anything. You aren't anywhere near me so if someone comes to get me you can't do anything about it."

"I'm closer than you think."

"Not close enough. I'm all alone. Alone with a burglar. Not good. Not good, Christine." She sucked in a breath. "Wait! I hear something…outside."

"Christine, I-"

"SSHHHH!" She wanted to be ready if something happened.

She could hear footsteps coming up the stairs. Her heart was pounding in her head.

"Chris-"

"SSHHH!" She practically spit on the phone.

The footsteps stopped at her door and she saw the doorknob move as it was twisted from the outside.

"Oh god." She whispered. "He's here."

She grabbed the hammer.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Notes: I can't say I'm happy with this chapter. I've been working on it and working on it and keep getting writer's block. I hope you all like it enough. At least the story is moving! :)

The next chapter or two may have you waiting a few weeks. It is the end of the semester for me and I am swamped with insane final projects. (If you haven't guessed by the story...I'm a Graphic Design student!) I hope that the content of this chapter can keep you dreaming about their future for a little while as you wait.

Thanks for the reviews! :)

* * *

_Quick, say something while she's quiet!_

Erik was standing outside Christine's door, checking the handle to make sure she was keeping safe. Glad to see her terrified neuroses hadn't inhibited her ability to take the necessary basic precautions. He was, however, nervous about her reaction to his being at her home and the complete depth of her nervousness.

"It's me, Christine. I'm at your door. It's just me." He spoke into the phone.

She was silent for just a moment before her anxious, half-whispered speed talking started again.

"You're at my door? How did you…when…I don't believe you. Knock twice if it's really you because I'm not opening that door unless I know for sure."

_Knock knock._

"Oh!" Christine leapt up from the couch, ran to the door and ripped open the lock. She slung the door open wide to reveal Erik, dressed in street clothes, his one visible brow furrowed in concern. If Christine hadn't been so outside of her mind already, she would have stalled to take him in. Instead, she burst into tears.

Not the reaction Erik had been hoping for, but exactly the reaction he expected.

He remained standing outside of her apartment, both hands raised as if to assure her he came in peace. She stood just inside of the door, the afghan billowing around her shoulders, the hammer still clutched in her hand. Erik couldn't help but notice, despite the tears raining down her cheeks and the dark circles beneath her eyes, how beautiful she still looked. Her hair was a mess, the curls flying in all directions, and she wore simple pajamas that gave just a hint of what might be lurking beneath the fabric.

"Oh, Erik! I don't know what you're doing here, but thank you! Thank you! I'm so scared, I don't know what to do anymore." She sobbed.

Erik, slightly jarred that her tears did not mean he was unwanted in her home, took a few hesitant steps towards her and placed one hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be afraid. I've come to keep you safe."

He used his other hand to remove the hammer from her grasp and then led her to her couch. Christine went without speaking, staring at him with huge eyes. Once they were seated, Christine spoke up as she wiped her eyes.

"What…what are you doing here? How did you get here?"

He grinned at that. "I believe I came here the same way anyone comes here."

She sighed, she could feel the sleepiness creeping up on her as Erik's presence brought forth the calm she so desperately needed.

Erik became more serious when he saw her reaction. He was glad that she was relaxing so easily after her frightened tirade on the phone.

"Christine, you were so excited when you called, how could I not come help you? I couldn't leave you alone and afraid. What kind of…friend…would I be?" The word twisted out of his mouth uncomfortably since he would have loved to use a more intimate title.

"I'm so glad. So glad you're here. I'm so sorry if I bothered you, though. Or woke you! I probably woke you. Oh god…"

She put her head in her hands as she realized the time. It was just after midnight.

"Christine, you didn't wake me or disturb me. Now, if you don't have any other plans for the evening, I have an idea."

"I'm listening," came her tired voice.

"Since I have a highly secured home and a guest room, I was wondering if you might want to stay with me for the night? It's clear you won't sleep here with what is going on in your neighborhood and I honestly am not comfortable leaving you here anyways. What do you say?"

"Stay? With you?"

"I assure you, you will be completely safe and if you can't sleep, I can always keep you company."

"That would be…so nice," She breathed the words and gave him a sleepy smile.

"Wonderful. Now, if you would go pack a bag, my car is waiting outside. Don't forget your coat, it is quite cold."

_She's coming to my home! She didn't look shocked or scared, only relieved, right? I can't believe she's really coming. Be careful, she's coming as a friend. Behave._

Christine quickly went to her room, bumping into the wall and stumbling a little as she walked. It took all of her waning concentration to pack the necessities she needed, including a few extra outfits _just in case_. She slipped on her plushy comfort boots and a navy MRU sweatshirt and headed back out to the living room.

"Okay, I'm…ready to go." She shrugged and yawned.

Erik came to her and took the bag from her and led her out the door. She locked the door and they went down the stairs to Erik's car. He held the passenger door of his McLaren open for her and she climbed in easily. With how nervous she had been on the phone, he had picked his beloved Mercedes, knowing it would get him there quickly.

They sped through the night in silence and after just a few minutes, Erik could hear her breathing deepen as she fell asleep. He was pleased with how serene she had become and delighted in the fact that she was able to sleep now.

Once they had driven up his long driveway, he parked in his four-car garage and shut down the already quiet engine. He went around to her side of the car and opened her door. Christine still slept, curled up in the seat. Erik grabbed her small bag and then scooped her into his arms, not wanting to disturb her much needed slumber. She was very light in his arms and as he entered the house, she stirred.

Christine lifted her arms around his neck and rested her forehead against his neck. She sighed just slightly and the warmth of her breath tickled his collarbone. Her small movements caused him to nearly drop her there in the kitchen, her breath felt so good on his skin.

_Yes._

He successfully made it to the guest room and before he laid her down, he became unsure.

_Will she be afraid if she wakes up in here alone? Should I take her to the couch instead? Should I take her to my- No. Definitely not_ that.

Erik decided to lay her on his luxurious living room furniture, and prepared to join her on a separate sofa. If she woke up, he wanted her reassured that she was not alone.

He gently placed her on the couch and took great care in laying a warm blanket over her. She looked so lovely as she slept and Erik couldn't help but sweep a few stray locks of her hair from in front of her eyes. Reluctantly, he pulled himself away from her and went to light a small fire in the living room fireplace. The crackle of the flames whispered to Erik as he settled onto the couch opposite of Christine, his long legs stretching out on the length of the seat. He knew he would likely not sleep very much, but that was no different than any other day.

As he relaxed, he replayed the nights events over in his mind. What had caused her to call him instead of someone else? _Maybe she is more of a loner than I originally thought. She obviously either has no parents or is not on speaking terms with them. Maybe I can ask her why she called…not that I'm not thrilled she's here, for_ _whatever reasons. Maybe I should just shut the hell up and enjoy it while it lasts._

He shook his had at himself and then tried to really unwind and attempt to sleep. Eventually he did drift off, slipping in and out of consciousness until the sun rose over the trees.

* * *

Christine awoke to the subtle gleam of the sunrise. Gold streams of light bounced along the walls of Erik's living room and Christine took in her surroundings as she remembered where she was.

_This is Erik's house._

She stretched on the couch, amazed to have slept so well somewhere other than on a bed. She looked around and spotted the large stone fireplace, open, with fresh ashes hinting at its recent blaze. Above it hung the biggest flat screen TV that Christine had ever seen. Now excited to learn about what else was contained in this huge room, she let her eyes roam the scenery. She did not get far, for she spotted Erik has he waltzed toward her. Two mugs in hand, a newspaper clutched underneath his arm. Christine detected that freshly shaven and showered smell and relished the images fluttering in her mind as he offered her a cup.

"Good morning." He gave her a small smile. "I wasn't sure what you liked in the morning, but I settled on your favorite."

She took the cup from him to find that it was ice cold. She peeked at its contents to find floating ice. She smiled hugely.

"Diet! Oh, that's wonderful. Meg thinks it's disgusting, but I live on it."

"I have to admit, I don't understand it either. But to each her own."

Erik sat across from her on the couch and sipped from his own mug. Christine relaxed back into the cushions and started in on what she hoped would not be too awkward a conversation.

"Listen, I want to just say thanks and I'm sorry about last night. If it's any consolation, I slept like a baby."

"I'm glad. You were so hyped up on those pills that you really worked yourself into a frenzy. I couldn't help but get into my car. How many did you take, anyways?"

"Ugh, three. If I'm having a rough night alone, I usually take one. I was just so scared…I took three hoping it would knock me out."

"Do you…do you frequently have rough nights? Because…taking cold medicine to sleep can't be good." He tried not to look at her, he hoped he hadn't crossed the line.

Christine looked uncomfortable for a second, recovered and continued.

"I do, actually. I know I shouldn't, I've just found no other way to get through the night. With this whole burglar thing, it's just near impossible anymore."

"Why is that, do you think? I know the intruder problems are intense, but you do lock your doors and most people who get burglarized don't take the necessary precautions."

"Yeah, most…" Christine whispered the words. She stared into her mug, hoping she wouldn't cry.

"Pardon?" Erik leaned in closer, trying to hear what he missed.

"Erik," She took a deep breath. "Do you remember that…that night…at Il Muto's?"

"Um, yes?" He was confused now.

"I…got upset when you mentioned my…my parents. They…oh god, I don't know if I can do this." She started to breathe through her nose.

"Christine, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"No, I do. I've put you through so much because of all this. You deserve to know."

Christine put the mug on the coffee table and wrapped her arms around herself. This was going to hurt.

"My parents died a few years ago. Someone broke into their house and…and…killed them both. They locked their doors but it didn't matter. And when they woke up and went out to see what was happening, he…beat…them down."

Erik got up to sit next to her on the couch. He couldn't believe how much she was sharing or the absolute tragedy she had been through.

A few tears ran down Christine's face as she continued.

"It happened the summer I went away to school. We had fought a lot about school since I still didn't know what I wanted to do and yet I was paying all that money to go to a university. We were going through a tough time. I left for MRU in the summer so that I could get away immediately. If we weren't fighting so much then, I could have been killed too. I would have been at the house with them." Her breaths were coming faster as the memories flooded through her mind. "It was June. I was sitting in my psychology class when I got the call. The call that said both my parents were gone. Forever."

Erik placed his large hand gently over top of Christine's. Hers were clutched tightly together in her lap. He wanted so badly to comfort her.

"Christine, I'm so sorry."

She gave him a sad smile.

"You know what the worst part is? The last time we spoke, we were fighting. Not only did I not get to say goodbye, but I was _mean_ to them." Her quiet sobs shook her small frame. "I will _always_ regret that. I miss them so much. And I'll never get to tell them I love them again."

"They had to have known you loved them. They were your parents. You had a whole life with them before you went to school. A few bad fights wouldn't have changed they way they knew you felt about them."

He handed her another of his handkerchiefs and she dabbed her eyes.

"Thank you, Erik. That's very kind of you to say. I'm so, so sorry to have involved you in my own personal mess. But I'm so grateful for everything you have done for me. I feel safe here because of you."

Erik was so touched at her words. He tried to think straight. It was hard not to interpret her vulnerability for something else. He took his hand away from hers, the more distance the better.

"Christine, I always want you to feel safe. You can stay here as long as you need. You've been through a lot."

"Thank you." She leaned into the cushions, resting her head back. Her light skin gleamed as the sun bounced off of her long neck.

He had to get out of that room. It was too much. There she was, the woman of his dreams, in _his_ home, relaxing on _his_ couch. If he didn't leave, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop himself from leaning in and getting a better look at that perfect neck of hers.

"I need to do a little work, do mind if I leave you for a while?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. I don't want to intrude on your day." She sniffed as she wiped away a few more tears.

"Well, I'll be in the house, I just have to work in my office down the hall. The guest room is around the corner, feel free to…take a…shower…um, and relax."

She blushed a little as he scooted around the words.

"Okay. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Erik nodded once and then excused himself from the room. Christine's eyes were closed, and she heard his strong steps as he left her. She was so comfortable here, despite her distress, she didn't even want to get up. Though after a few minutes, she dragged herself off the couch and went looking for the guest room.

Erik's house was phenomenal. As Christine walked through the hallways, she ran her fingers along the wood-paneled walls. She smelled the rich oak aroma and found that she thought this home fit perfectly with who Erik was. The dark hallways, the plush furniture, the large expanse of space; it was perfect, and she found herself wishing she could be a part of his space as well.

She found the guest room easily and spotted her bag on the large bed. The soft black comforter was so inviting, but she knew a shower was what she needed, so she kept moving towards the bathroom.

The warm spray of water washed over her, soothing her frazzled nerves. Christine expected to continue to cry once she was alone, but there were no tears. She felt _relieved_, as impossible as that was to grasp.

_How could I feel better about reliving Mom and Dad's accident? I didn't feel better when I told Meg. What is it about Erik that leaves me with this feeling of…home? Why couldn't I feel this way about someone who actually feels the same way?_

She stood there, thinking for a moment as she considered Erik's actions.

_He came for me when I was afraid. He comforted me when I was upset. He continues to look out for me and help me. Why? We aren't close friends, we're more co-workers than friends. Why is he doing all of this for me? Could he…maybe?_

She laughed at herself.

_Of course not, idiot! He's just a wonderful man, a perfect man. Of course he's helped me, it's just in his nature. Stupid. Just because one person shows me kindness doesn't mean he's in love with me or anything. Don't ruin this._

Christine finished her shower and dressed in clean clothes and warm socks. Her worn pair of jeans and favorite, soft long-sleeved shirt made her feel more comfortable. She pulled her damp curls into a messy ponytail, sifted through her bag and realized she forgot to pack her makeup.

_Damn. I need all the help I can get._

Without glancing at her hated reflection in the mirror, she left her small bag in the bathroom and went back out into the guest room. That huge bed was calling to her, as she felt the repercussions of her episode the night before.

_Maybe just a little nap._

Christine crawled to the middle of the bed, not bothering to climb beneath the sheets. The rest of the day could wait a few hours and she knew Erik would not come looking for her for a while anyways. She curled herself around a pillow and fell fast asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Notes: Well, looky looky who manages her time so well! I'm a machine, I tell ya. :D

So, this chapter has become one of my favorites...I hope you like it!

DRAMA....and...HAPPINESS. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!! 3

* * *

"Hmm, Erik."

The quiet sigh that escaped Christine's sleeping lips would have gone unnoticed if Erik hadn't been standing in the doorway watching her. This was his fourth visit to the guestroom in the last three hours, as he had been unable to get her presence in his house out of his mind. He had been about to turn around and leave again when he heard that tiny sigh.

He froze where he stood.

_Is she awake?_

He wasn't sure if he should speak to her, but if she _was_ still sleeping, he didn't want to wake her. Christine, who was in fact, still asleep, did not utter another word. So after several nervous minutes, Erik did eventually disappear once again.

Since he was making no progress on his architectural designs for his new commission, he instead went to his piano. A little light playing would not disturb Christine, he thought, along with the fact that the piano was at the opposite end of the house.

The keys danced beneath his fingertips in slow patterns. Erik was too enraptured in his own thoughts to put real effort into the music.

_Why did she say my name? If only she knew how perfect my stupid, foolish name sounds on her lips. If only she would say my name like that…when she wasn't sleeping._

He closed his eyes and the music grew louder.

_This was a mistake. I cannot be in the same house with her all week and do nothing but niceties. Every move she makes is torture. I need her. Christine, I need you._

The random notes began to flow into that same mysterious composition, his desire evident in the temperament of the sounds.

_How long can I keep up this façade? Oh, god, what am I going to do? What would she do? If I took the risk, would she really stay? She has stayed this long, could she? I'm a fool if I believe that she could want me. I'm a fool._

The mood changed once again. Desire to sadness, passion to longing.

"That is so beautiful."

The music stopped as Erik ripped his hands away from the keys and looked to the door. Christine stood just inside the room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Christine, you're awake. How are you feeling?" He rose from the bench and went to her, unable to help himself from grasping her shoulders gently.

She looked up at him and smiled.

"Much better actually, thank you. How long was I asleep?"

"A few hours, it's nearly lunch time now."

Her stomach rumbled in response and she blushed a little as she put her hand on her pleading belly.

"I guess I'm hungry!"

Erik stepped back from her and started to lead her out of the room and towards the kitchen.

"What would you like to eat? You are more than welcome to raid my pantries, or we could call something in."

"Oh god, 'pantries'? As in plural? I should have known, what with the rest of your house being so huge!"

Erik grinned at that. She always made everything about his life sound so spectacular, when in reality, he was just lonely. She made him feel admired.

"Yes well, maybe I just like my variety. So what will it be?"

"Hmm, well I'm going to need to inspect your selections, first! But what if, since you so generously let me stay, I made us lunch?"

"Really?" A woman had never made him a meal before. Olivia was too much of a pampered child to have ever learned to cook. "That sounds divine."

"Okay, then! So you should leave and do whatever it is that you need to do, and I will come and get you when lunch is ready."

She instantly began shooing him out of the kitchen and before he was fully out of sight, he turned back to look at her.

Christine was shuffling along the hardwood floors in her socks, standing on her tiptoes as she inspected the content on the higher shelves. As she reached up to grab for something, the bottom of her yellow shirt slid along her waist, revealing the light skin of her midriff. Erik continued to stare at her. She looked perfectly at home in his kitchen. She fit. He couldn't help but imagine her there under different circumstances.

His appreciative peeping came to an end and he did go back to his office. He really did need to make a call to Nadir to discuss more details about their current project.

Erik was on the phone for the entire time that Christine was in the kitchen. Just as he placed his cell back down on his desk, he heard Christine call his name.

_She has _got_ to stop doing that._

As he reentered the kitchen, she passed him with trays on her way to the living room.

"I thought we'd eat in here if you don't mind? I've already started a little fire and everything."

"No…no, that sounds wonderful." He followed her, enchanted at the effort she was putting into their little lunch.

"We're just having some grilled sandwiches, but maybe when we're done we could play a little chess? I saw a board and some pieces in there. I'm a wiz at chess!"

Erik chuckled at her, "Well then, I can't pass up a chance to play the master."

He sat down on the floor with the trays as Christine ran back to the kitchen to retrieve the drinks and then sat down beside him. They ate in silence for a little while, making sure to eat the warm sandwiches before they cooled. Even with the simplicity of the meal, Erik was in heaven. They listened to the slow crackle of the fireplace and the sound of the wind whipping against the trees outside. It was turning into an absolutely lovely afternoon.

"So, tomorrow, we go and get the prints?" Christine was the first to speak.

"Yes," Erik swallowed the bite he was eating. "Yes, in the morning. You know, since you are already here, you could stay again and then we could just bring the prints back here. Well…if you'd like."

She sighed at his offer, relieved that she wouldn't have to ask.

"Really, Erik? That would be so nice. Yes, I would certainly like to stay and then we could leave for the printing shop from here."

Christine noticed that Erik looked nervous. She was about to take back her eager acceptance of his offer, but he spoke first.

"Christine, you are more than welcome to stay until Meg comes back. It is very nice to have…another person in this house." _Shit, just say it._ "It is very nice to have…you, I mean. It is very nice to have _you_ in this house."

She didn't say anything at first. From where she sat, she could only see the masked side of his face, and she wasn't entirely sure she'd heard him correctly.

_Why would he say it was nice to have _me_? I'm such a burden._

Her silence made him nervous and he found himself acting severely out of character.

"I just mean, that, this house gets very…lonely sometimes. And you, well, you are like the…the sun. Always cheerful and…sweet."

Christine's face went crimson.

"Half the time you see me, I'm upset. Upset in your office, upset at the restaurant, upset in my apartment. Where's 'the sun' in that?" She used her fingers to quote him.

Erik was very quiet but looked deep into her eyes as he answered.

"Anything you do is perfection to me."

Christine was unaware of how she had started to lean towards him, and he to her. Erik looked terrified as he waited for her disgusted reaction, but he waited in vain. She just stared back at him, looking nervous but…intrigued? Could it be?

He had to try.

He turned his body towards her, moving slowly, anticipating her recoil. He reached up a nervous hand to her face and gently stroked his thumb across her cheekbone. Christine's eyes fluttered at the gentle touch but she did not flinch.

"Christine," He breathed her name and she closed her eyes.

He moved his hand from her face to the back of her head and cupped the base of her skull. She kept her eyes closed, leaning her head back, loving the feel of his strong hand through her hair.

Erik slid his nose lightly across her own, and then let his lips rest on hers.

_Yes._

Erik felt the quiet thrill as Christine responded to his kiss. She instantly began to move her lips with his, her questions about his feelings for her answered. She gave out a little whimper as he sucked her bottom lip, and then tried the maneuver on him. Her lips opened to him, their tongues dancing together.

The burn of the fire was not the only heat now circulating through the room. Erik and Christine's breaths were hot on each other as their embrace became more intense. Christine instinctively reached up to touch Erik's face and came into direct contact with the mask. Erik instantly withdrew from her at the touch, causing Christine to gasp.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, it's nothing." Erik looked anxious. He moved to get up from where they had been kissing on the floor. Christine furrowed her brow in concern.

"Erik? Where…where are you going? I'm…sorry…" She bit her lip, unsure of what exactly just passed between them.

"It's my fault, I shouldn't have started this. I'm a fool."

"Oh." Christine let her eyes fall to the floor. She couldn't look at him anymore. She knew Erik was about to tell her she wasn't good enough for him. He'd do it nicely of course, but why else would he have stopped them? So she decided to end the conversation before he had the chance.

She stood up and started to move past him, saying very quietly as she went, "I'm sorry you feel that way."

Erik's stomach was in knots as he watched her pass him and leave the room. He wanted to grab her arm and tell her everything. Tell her his problems, tell her how utterly breathtaking she was, tell her how he had wanted her since the first moment he saw her. But he didn't. He let her go. It was better this way. Right?

Once Christine was out of sight, she started running towards the guest room. She slammed the door shut behind and threw herself onto the bed, bursting into tears.

_Why? Why did he kiss me if he wants nothing to do with me? What is wrong with me?_

Her chest felt tight and her body racked with her sobs. She tried to stay quiet, not wanting him to hear her miserable cries.

But he did hear them. Erik had jumped at the sound of her door slamming. He rushed to the room, uncertain of what to do, and then he heard her quiet crying from outside the door.

_I've hurt her again, god damn it._

He hung his head in shame and turned to leave. Erik was equally upset now. He couldn't make amends with her without explaining himself and there was no way he could do that. Could he? Could he really make it any worse?

He had some thinking to do.

* * *

Christine spent an hour locked in the guest room, wasting her emotions on her own self-loathing. She was not surprised that Erik didn't want her, she was just taken aback that he had to kiss her to find that information out. It hurt, and she felt dirty and ashamed.

_I have to get out of here, _she thought to herself_._

She looked out the window to see a gloomy sky looking back.

_I won't be long, I just need to breathe some fresh air for a while._

Since Christine didn't have her car with her, and wasn't entirely sure where she was, she decided to take a walk around the grounds. From what she could tell from inside the house, it seemed as though Erik's property was rather large and Christine felt comforted in the wide-open space that looked so welcoming.

She pulled on the boots that she had worn here the night before, and pulled on the same hooded navy sweatshirt. Christine slipped out of the guest room and made sure Erik was nowhere to be found before she found the back door and headed outside.

The hair on her neck and arms was standing up eerily, and Christine could feel the charge in the air. A storm was coming. She looked up to the sky and could still see the sun peeking out amongst the dark clouds and decided that she had more than enough time before any rain would start to fall. The air was crisp and Christine's nose was frozen before she had spent more than ten minutes outside, and her breath was coming out in little puffs.

She hugged her arms around herself as she wandered the grounds. There were large oak trees and hundreds of full bushes spread out across the property. Christine felt better as she weaved her way through the maze of green.

"What do we do now? Where do we go from here? More importantly, how do I get home?"

She groaned quietly as she talked the problems out aloud to herself. Christine was so absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to notice the darkening clouds turning black and the slow rumble of thunder beginning to grow closer. She had walked so far from the house that she could no longer see Erik's home, only a vast expanse of land and trees.

"Where the hell am I?"

The sudden realization that she had gotten herself lost on the property, apparently in the middle of nowhere, came crashing towards her just as lightning cracked and lit up the sky.

Dumbfounded at her stupid mistake, Christine stood awkwardly where she was. Just as she regained her footing and began trying to retrace her steps, the sky opened up and ice cold rain pelted the ground in fat drops.

"Crap! Crap, CRAP!" She screamed as she quickly flipped her hood up over her head and dashed for the shelter of one of the huge trees.

The wind howled as it blew the rain sideways through the air and Christine shivered as the sharp breeze cut through her sweatshirt. She was scared now. Lost and alone, and Erik didn't know where she was. _Not that he cares,_ she thought.

She wasn't sure if she should try to dash from tree to tree until she found somewhere that she recognized, or stay where she was and wait. She decided to try her first option.

Every time she ran out from beneath the protection of the trees, she was soaked from the rain, and the more she ran the more frozen she became. Her teeth chattered and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stand to be out in this weather. She took refuge beneath her last tree and decided to wait until the storm passed, she hoped it wouldn't take long.

Unbeknownst to her, Erik had been searching for her for nearly an hour. Not wanting to waste another minute away from her after their awkward and painful last conversation, he had practically run to the guest room in pursuit of her, only to see she was nowhere to be found. He had become frantic after having not found any trace of her. Her full bag and purse were still in the guest room and the only reason he had even ventured into the room was because the door was left wide open. He had called her cell only to find it ringing clearly in her abandoned purse and found no note waiting for him anywhere in the house. She obviously had to still be around the house, since she had taken nothing with her, so his last choice was to check for her outside. Erik frowned as he took the ominous clouds into consideration before darting outside.

The rain had begun to come down just as Erik had made his way to the grounds at the back of the house. Cursing the weather and the fact that he had failed to grab any sort of raincoat, Erik now found himself shivering and soaked to the bone. His crisp white dress shirt was clinging to his skin and the weight of his now drenched dark jeans felt heavier with every step. He began to call out for Christine, praying she could hear him over the storm, but heard nothing except for the constant roar of the rolling thunder.

Step after step he scoured the land for her, but found nothing. He hoped that Christine had taken the simple winding path, for fear that if she did not, he may not find her for several hours. Erik often walked the length of his property and knew the land well, but he was aware of how easily someone could get lost amidst the small forest of trees.

Christine had taken to sitting down at the base of one of the large trees, curling her knees up to her chin and attempted to keep as warm as possible. Her outlook was bleak as she trembled against the unwavering rain.

Suddenly, she heard it. It was barely audible over the storm, but she heard it once more. Her name. Muffled with the wind, the enduring voice of Erik persevered. Christine stood up, preparing for his wrath. How could he be anything but enraged at having had to search this far for her in this weather? But when he emerged from a cluster of trees not fifteen feet from her, Erik sprinted towards her, so relieved to have found her.

"Christine! What are you doing out here?!" He yelled to her over the screaming wind.

"I got lost! I was walking and lost track of where I was!"

"You should have told me your were coming out here! What if I couldn't find you?! What if something had happened to you?!" He gripped her shoulders as he shouted.

"Like you care! You're the one who wants me gone!" The angry storm had infected Christine's already deteriorated mood, and with eyes ablaze, she shrieked her words at him.

Erik slammed her against the tree at her remark, still holding onto her petite frame.

"THAT is NOT what I want!" He yelled back and then he took her lips with his, forcing his tongue into her already yielding mouth. Her moan at his forceful conquest was lost in the sea of the storm, but her desire for him was now roaring loud in her eyes. In that moment, she did not care if he kicked her out of his house after this. She didn't care what he would say to her when they were back inside. The only thing that mattered was the two of them right here and now, and the way that he was kissing her.

The world melted away as Erik continued to seize her mouth with his lips and pulled her quivering body against his own, warming each other against the cold.

Without breaking their passionate embrace, Erik then scooped Christine into his arms and began walking them briskly back to the house. The rain poured over them, but it went unnoticed, as did the sanctuary of the house as it came into view, or the warmth of the fireplace as Erik laid Christine down on the living room floor beside it.

There was much talking to be done, but for now, there was only the heat of their desire and the sweet velvet of their lips on each other.

* * *

End Notes: So you have to tell me, yay or nay on the mushy writing? My first time doing it and it's making me all nervous. Seriously, I should just say, "They kiss and other stuff." :P


	16. Chapter 16

Hooray for finals being over and having a week devoted solely to movie watching and fanfiction writing! I hope I haven't kept you all waiting too long, though maybe I should do that more often because of all the wonderful reviews you left! Thanks thanks! :)

So we can't have their relationship progress without more angst now can we?? Well, angst and...kissing. *hubba hubba*  
Stay with me...we all know what comes next. ;)

* * *

He placed soft kisses down the length of her neck and the line of her jaw. Christine made sweet, happy sighs at each touch of his lips on her and Erik began to lose his control. Her fingers intertwined around the hairs on his head and the feel of her nails along his scalp made goosebumps appear on his skin.

They were tangled around each other on the floor, the warmth of the hearth allowing them to remain in their wet clothes without shivering. Erik knew he had to stop them soon, but he just wasn't ready yet. This could be the last kiss he ever gave her, and the repercussions were going to hurt.

_Just a few minutes more._

Erik let his tongue mingle with hers again and he tried to place every piece of her to memory. He filed away the sweet taste of her lips, and the smooth velvet of her tongue. The way her leg was hitched around his hip, and the contour of her waist beneath his hands.

"Erik," she purred, her cheeks flush.

"Oh, Christine," he answered. He withdrew slightly from her, just enough to be able to look in her eyes. He started slow, praying she might understand.

"I need to talk to you about this afternoon."

Fear flashed across Christine's face, and she tried to pull him closer to her. She didn't want their time to end so soon.

"Let's not talk about that now, please?" She pleaded quietly.

"It's important and I owe you an explanation."

"Okay," she said slowly, sitting up a little.

"Christine, you have to know, I did not stop you because I didn't want you. I hope you know that. You are…breathtaking. I want you with every fiber of my being."

Christine was stunned. She did not expect any of those words to emerge from his lips.

"But then why –" she started, but he interrupted. He was hesitant to tell her everything, but decided that he would rather have all or nothing. Just like he couldn't maintain simply a friendship with her for very long, there was no way he could allow himself to be with her fully without her knowing him completely. No other woman in his life knew his whole story, but Christine was different. This woman could be the ultimate love of his life, and he had to see if he could truly succumb to her and her to him.

"My…my mask. You grazed it with your hand that first time and…and it caught me off guard. I…I shouldn't have started anything with you because you wouldn't be here with me if you…knew. If you saw me without it."

"Oh." She understood.

"I'm going to tell you something, and then it will be your choice if you stay here or not. It's a lot to handle, and I don't expect you to stay. I hope you will not feel an obligation to me after this, I just think you should know what you're getting into." Christine nodded, looking nervous. He took a deep breath and then continued.

"I was in a terrible accident when I was a child and it distorted this side of my face. Skin graphs and surgeries have done nothing but make it worse, and it truly is an awful sight to behold. When I was five, I was ejected from a vehicle for not wearing my seatbelt. It was a head-on collision and everyone left inside the car was killed."

Christine gasped. Whatever this distortion looked like, it was both a blessing and a curse. He had lived, but at what cost?

"My face came into contact with fire, asphalt and rusted searing metal. Not only did the bones in my jaw break and the side of my skull crack, but the rust from the metal left an infection that further mangled my injuries. As I grew, the disfigured portion of me did as well. I have been subject to over twenty surgeries, all of which failed miserably. Without my mask, I am a monster. I do not wish for you to see me without it, but I feel as though you should choose your destiny for yourself."

The words came out fast and Erik was glad when he was finished. Christine kept a carefully smooth expression on her face and he waited anxiously for her response.

"Oh god, Erik," she started, sitting up fully to face him. "I am so sorry. What a nightmare your life must have been."

Christine reached up and ever so gently, stroked the cool material of Erik's mask. He looked frightened but did not flinch.

"Thank you for telling me, though it really was not necessary. That's your life, your own business."

"Christine, you don't understand. Even some _doctors_ flinch when they see me without this," he pointed to his mask. "It is gruesome, and it is not fair for me to enjoy sweet moments like this with you without letting you be aware of what you're kissing."

She gave him a sad smile. _Aware of _what_ I'm kissing? Oh, I hope I can handle this. I want him so badly._

Erik's eyes searched hers. What was she going to do next? What would she say?

She surprised them both.

Christine reached up to his face once more and slowly and carefully began removing the mask from Erik's face. He caught her wrist and stared at her, taking in what could possibly be their last moment together.

Christine simply said, "It's okay," and he let go of her hand.

As his cover started to reveal his tortured face, Christine could see exactly what Erik had been describing. Raised purple streaks of skin pulled at the thin portions below his eyes and near his ears. Large jagged marks dominated the flesh and every inch from his hairline to the base of his earlobe was covered in the leathery texture from the burn. It was certainly a site to see, but Christine hurt for Erik as she reviewed his cause for such pain. She had expected to need to throw up from seeing beneath the mask, but in reality, it was just different. It was the kind of thing to attract quite a lot of attention, but the most painful part for her was knowing that he had lived his entire life hating himself because of these terrible scars.

Erik wanted to close his eyes and shield himself from her reaction, but he could not look away. He waited for the scream and the tears. For her to run from the room and never look back. But Christine only leaned in and lightly kissed each uneven plane of his ragged flesh. Erik was astounded. _Dear god, she is truly perfect. _He felt overcome with his absolute adoration of her.

Erik took a hold of her. He had to have her. He crushed his mouth onto hers and Christine did the same. Pulling her beneath him, Erik slipped his hands beneath her still dripping sweatshirt and tore it from her so that he could be as close with her as possible. She instantly pressed herself against him as she met every wave of his passionate kiss. He nipped at the skin of her neck and shoulder, trying to taste every piece of her exposed flesh. His tongue roved the contours of her skin and Christine moaned at his every move.

"Oh, Christine," he whispered to her. "Christine, Christine." He breathed the words with every kiss.

They lay by the fire until the rain stopped and the sky darkened with the night. Enjoying each other in a more innocent way, they stayed fully clothed, just kissing and exploring the curves of each other's bodies. Their clothes had dried during their time together and the kisses faded away to gentle conversation. Erik lay on his side, propped up on one arm, as he traced designs with his thumb onto Christine's skin. She was curved around him, her legs draped over his. Erik's mask, long-forgotten, sat a few feet away at the base of the couch.

"We should probably get up soon," Christine said to him as she kissed lightly up his strong jaw.

"If only we would," Erik smirked at her.

"Can I tell you something?"

He nodded.

"I secretly hoped this would all happen. Maybe not exactly the way it did, I mean I would have rather left my hysterics out of the equation, but I dreamt of being right here with you."

Erik looked at her, appreciating her shy admission.

"Me too. Though I wish I could have taken credit for that rain."

"That was…perfect." She smiled and curled closer to him.

He put his hand through her hair and twisted her chocolate ringlets around his fingers.

_It's too soon to tell her I love her, right? Yeah…far too soon._

"How about we get up and go to dinner? Not that I want you to move one inch from where you are, but I would imagine that you're hungry."

"Okay. But only if we can come right back here when we're done," she said, thinking she'd actually rather do this somewhere else…like the bed.

Erik stood up, bringing Christine with him. Before she left their spot for a shower, Erik pulled her close, saying, "Thank you."

She blushed at his adoring gaze and then tore her eyes away from his and headed for the guest room.

Christine closed the door behind her and leaned against it.

_Oh my god. What just happened? Did I just spend the last few hours making out with the sexiest man alive _and_ I'm spending the night? When did I win the lottery?!_

She grinned to herself and hummed a made-up tune as she turned the shower on. The steam filled the bathroom and when she removed her clothing she turned to look at herself in the large mirror.

Her smile instantly faded as she looked over naked body and the realization of the situation slammed into reality.

_Oh no. What was I thinking? What if he wants to have sex? I can't have sex. I've never had sex! He can't see me like this. What if he takes one look and changes his mind. He was with Olivia! Oh god, he was with Olivia. How could I ever follow a show like that?!_

She cringed at the thought as she twisted and turned to see all of herself.

_Maybe he's different. He understands having pieces of yourself that you don't like, right. Oh, I don't know! He's still a man, dammit!_

She shot a fiery glare into the mirror and walked under the running water. She was meticulous in the shower and as she got ready, taking great care in making herself as presentable as possible. Only until she reached for her cosmetic bag did she remember she didn't have it with her.

"Damn!"

_So much for looking presentable. Ugh._

Christine pulled on a clean pair of jeans and an ivory turtleneck. She pulled a long necklace over top of her shirt and donned a thin silver headband buried in her curls. The only coat she had brought with her was her frumpy sweatshirt, which was now still slightly damp. Christine just hoped she could jet inside and out of whatever restaurant they were going to and not spend too much time in the frigid cold. She stuck her feet in her boots and walked out to wait for Erik in the living room.

When she left the guest room, still flustered, she saw Erik was standing in the kitchen leaning on the counter. He was also in a fresh pair of jeans with a charcoal sweater, his mask repositioned on his face. She thought he made any piece of clothing look perfect, though her nervous desire to see him without said clothing was building in the pit of her stomach.

"H-hi."

Erik smiled at her small stumble.

"I thought we were past the stuttering?"

He strode over to meet her and put his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

"D-didn't you know? You were the reason I stuttered."

She bit her lip as she told him that, but tried to say it like a joke.

"Well, in that case, stutter away." He grinned and kissed her softly. "Ready?"

Christine nodded and just as he was about to turn them towards the garage door, Erik frowned.

"Where's your jacket? You'll freeze."

"Oh, I don't have one with me besides that wet sweatshirt." She shrugged, "I'll be fine."

He led her towards the door then, shaking his head as they went.

"Oh, no you won't. We're going to your apartment first and you can get a jacket and anything else you might need."

Christine smiled wide, she loved that he made sure she was taken care of.

_I could get used to this._

The two walked into the garage and the thought flashed across Christine's mind once again as she took in the four luxurious cars waiting for them.

"Ohhhh," she purred.

Erik felt himself puff up a little at his pride in her appreciation of his vehicles. Between the Mercedes McLaren SLR, Porsche Cayenne, the 1970 Aston Martin and his newest baby, the Ferrari Dino, Erik considered himself a connoisseur of beautiful vehicles and had hoped his woman would understand such a passion.

"Since you slept most of the way here, why don't we take this one again?" He motioned towards the Mercedes and Christine nodded vigorously.

Once they were in the car, driving down Erik's long driveway, Christine's nerves crept back up. It was easy to get lost in the extravagance of Erik's lifestyle and her fear for what might be awaiting them later that evening was keeping her from completely enjoying herself. It looked to her as though Erik wasn't nervous in the slightest. Given the fact that he had overcome his largest obstacle earlier that day, this was no surprise to her. Christine's hands twisted nervously in her lap as they drove through town to her apartment, and she prayed she wouldn't ruin this tender mood they were sharing.

_One little slip of my clothing and it will be all over. Thanks a lot, Olivia_.


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Notes: HI!!! Remember me?? Let me just say a big, huge I'M SORRY for dropping off the face of the earth, but I do have a good reason! I scored a great job and started up summer semester at school (which is supercharged for lack of time) so my life kind of went into warp speed after that. I swear I have loads more stuff coming up for this story, I've got little half chapters written all over the place. So don't give up on me! :)

* * *

At her apartment, Christine went straight back to her bedroom to gather her things. Erik could hear her rummaging around and even caught wind of some of her frustrated whispers to herself.

He had noticed her more anxious energy on the way over and he had to admit, he felt a little nervous himself. This surprised him, given the fact that he had already told her all about himself, which turned out to be a much easier experience than he had ever imagined.

_I should have just told her from the start, I should have known she'd understand._

But what he didn't understand was why he was getting more and more nervous as the minutes ticked by. If the largest complication had already been dealt with, what more was there to be nervous about? He had a beautiful, tender-hearted woman out with him for dinner and she would even be coming back home with him afterwards.

_Oh_.

She would be coming home with him.

And there's only so much kissing a person could do before they needed more.

_Oh!_

Erik stiffened as the realization struck him, and he was glad Christine wasn't in the room see his reaction.

_Why are you acting this way, fool! She's already seen the worst part and accepted you without faltering, what else is there to be afraid of?_

But he knew very well what he was afraid of. He _was_ only human after all.

He didn't get a chance to sink fully into his thoughts because Christine shuffled out of the room then, bag in hand and wearing her chocolate coat.

"Sorry I took so long, I just didn't grab the appropriate things last time." She gave him a hesitant smile. If only he knew _what_ appropriate items she had grabbed this time…

"Shall we?" His strong voice squeaked a little as he took her arm and led her back out of her apartment.

The car ride to the restaurant wasn't quiet, but it was certainly tense. Every word they spoke to each other was charged with what they weren't saying.

"S-s-so, what restaurant are we going to?" Christine asked Erik.

"I thought we could try Il Muto's again since our last visit was on much different terms."

"You mean, when I was only your employee? And now I'm your…?" Her words stopped short as she realized that they hadn't yet defined their new relationship.

"Well you certainly aren't just my employee now," Erik smirked at her.

Christine didn't say anything more about it and Erik reached for her hand in an effort to reassure her. He didn't clarify what their relationship was, because truth be told, he wasn't sure. He would have loved to call her his girlfriend, though after their time together this afternoon, the term seemed to fall flat in comparison to his feelings for her.

"Well, at least I won't be running to the bathroom in tears again." She chuckled.

"You never know, I may say something inexcusable again."

"Erik…"

He felt her squeeze his hand and he glanced at her to see her large green eyes looking at him.

"Nevertheless, tonight will be much improved from that night."

"Much, much improved," He heard her whisper to herself and a thrill shivered through his body at the implication.

He pulled the car into a spot in the restaurant's parking lot and was at her door before she had even reached for the handle.

"Oh! Thank you." She smiled sweetly at him.

They walked hand-in-hand into Il Muto's and were quickly led to a table towards the back of the restaurant. A small lamp lit their table and the twinkle lights strung throughout the establishment glittered softly.

As they waited for their drinks, Erik reached across the table to hold her hand. He traced the lines of her palm and saw goosebumps creep up Christine's arm.

"Oo, that tickles." She shivered a little and her cheeks flushed slightly.

Erik loved that color on her face and found himself wondering what color her cheeks might flush a little later that evening.

In an effort to calm himself, he tried to steer the conversation in a direction that wouldn't make him sweat in anticipation.

"So why don't you tell me about your outfit for the showcase? I imagine you and Meg have already started talking about it, you are women after all."

"How very observant of you." She winked at him. "But you're right, we've actually already been shopping in search of our dresses. Meg found something right away, naturally. I haven't been so lucky yet."

"What does Meg's look like? Does she have a mask? That's the most important part."

Before Christine could go into detail about the dress, their drinks came and they ordered their food. After their server left, though, she jumped right back into the conversation.

"Meg's is gorgeous. It's this dark purple number with lots of glittering pieces on it. It'll be fun to find her mask. We'll probably try again in a few weeks once she's back and settled from her trip."

"Well, what are _you_ looking for?"

"God, anything, really. I never find anything that fits or looks decent, so I'll be lucky to find one, let alone a selection to choose from."

He shook his head at her, skeptical.

"I highly doubt you look anything less than absolute perfection."

Christine blushed again, and quickly looked down to her soda and took a long sip as she avoided his eyes.

Erik, however, wasn't looking at her eyes. He couldn't stop looking at her mouth as she generously sucked on her straw.

"Um…uh…what, um, what colors are you going to look for?"

"Oh, um, I'm not sure. I like light, pale colors and really dark, rich colors. I mean, I'm a designer so I kind of like every end of the color spectrum."

"You know, I have a mask from one of the shows I composed years ago. It was just a small performance, but I was given several pieces from the costume department that got left behind."

"Really? That is so neat. What kind of mask is it?"

"It just goes across your eyes, it isn't a full face mask. It's white with small eyelets and rhinestones and it has some white and seafoam-green feathers in it." He had remembered he had the mask just a few days earlier and hoped she might wear it. He knew she'd look lovely in it.

"Wow, it sounds beautiful."

"If you like, you can certainly wear it. It's not like I'm going to be wearing it anytime soon."

They both laughed at that.

"That would be great, Erik! I can't wait to find a dress to match it. Now I have something to look for."

He was glad. He liked pleasing her this way, he just wasn't sure if he could please her in other ways. The thought made him swallow hard.

Their food came then and the conversation stopped for a few moments while they ate. Erik noticed that Christine did not order a small salad like Olivia had always done, a practice that had irritated him to no end. He was happy to see her eagerly digging into her normal-sized entrée like any other human being.

Their easy exchange was lighter throughout the rest of the meal, just remarks on the weather and the quality of the food. The check came and went and before Erik knew it, he was offering up his arm to her once more as he led them out of the restaurant and to the car.

He was quiet as they walked, his mind spinning with the task upon him. He stopped to open Christine's door but she stepped in to take control, quickly closing it back with her hip and standing up on her tip toes to kiss him full on the mouth. Erik felt the rush of excitement rip through his body at the surprise attack and he slid his arms around her waist and pressed her against the car.

He broke her kiss to taste the skin on her neck and Christine moaned softly in response.

"Let's go," he whispered in her ear, then reopened the door for her.

He got in the car, fully aware that his ache for her was not subsiding. The engine roared to life and he looked over to see Christine shaking slightly in the passenger seat, her cheeks flaming red. They were silent on the drive back to Erik's house, which wasn't a huge surprise since Erik sped through the night like the car was on fire. He pulled into the garage, practically ripping Christine from the car, lifting her up so that she was straddling his waist as he walked into the house.

Christine began kissing his neck, unaware the way her body moved against him as she did so. Erik slumped against the wall at her movement, unsure that they would even make it to the bedroom at this rate. He considered stopping right where he was and taking her here in the hallway.

_No. I won't let it happen that way. Not tonight. Tonight it will happen the right way, my way._

Determined, Erik reached the master suite successfully and carefully laid Christine down atop his massive bed. He crawled above her and slipped his tongue inside her mouth, letting it work its magic as his hands explored the rest of her. His roaming hands left trails of burning flesh along her ribcage and Christine ached for him to keep searching. Her sweater, now suffocating her as her need to be free of it began to climb, had been pushed upward as Erik's exploration of her skin continued and with one final tug he removed it from her. Christine gasped in surprise, this uninhibited side of him stirring more unwelcome emotions in her.

In return she had removed his own sweater and started to work on unbuttoning his shirt but in his excitement, Erik ripped it from his chest. The buttons flew about the room and Christine smiled nervously once before Erik occupied her mouth once again.

"You don't know how long I've waited for you, for this." He moaned into her ear. His hands had already freed her of her jeans and camisole and he looked into her eyes as he went to unhook her bra. But the fear that suddenly and unexpectedly flashed through Christine's eyes steadied his hand.

"What? What is it?"

"I-I-I'm sorry, it's nothing." She stammered at him, reaching for his hand so that he might continue without asking questions. She couldn't possibly tell him what had so inconveniently invaded her thoughts. He couldn't understand.

But he did not let her persuade him to continue. Erik cupped the back of her head in his hands and kissed her softly on the lips, letting his nose touch hers gently.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do with me." He said to her.

"Erik, it isn't that, really. I'm fine." She reached out for his lips, but again he did not comply. She let out a sigh, knowing she was about to humiliate herself and ruin the entire evening.

"I just…I'm not…her. I'm not her, Erik. I don't look…don't…anything. I'm just…sorry."

Bewildered, Erik looked at her for the rest of her explanation, but she said nothing more. Instead, Christine rolled away from him, reaching for her sweater as she stood away from the bed. She began picking up her clothing that had been thrown about the room, but before she could gather all of it, Erik was at her side.

"Christine, I don't understand. I thought…I don't understand what just happened?" He leaned in close and she tried to back away, her skin coming into contact with the cool wood paneling of the wall.

"Christine, please. What did I do to make you turn from me like this? Please." Her eyes avoided his and the hurt and confusion was bubbling up within him.

Erik had reached up to touch her, but withdrew his hand and began to back away from her. He didn't know what she was thinking, but she obviously wanted nothing to do with him. Before he had completely turned from her, though, her reasoning came out, like blasts from a shotgun.

"Olivia. Olivia! I'm not! Olivia!" She took hard breaths as the emotion ran thick from her lips. "I've never! I can't! You won't!"

She clung her bundled clothes to herself, her wide eyes welling up with tears.

Instantly, he understood. He was next to her again, cooing softly to her, touching his forehead to hers.

"Christine, Christine, Christine, shh, shh, shh."

"I'm sorry, Erik. I'm sorry. I'm just…afraid." Her voice cracked as she spoke and she hated herself for always making such a scene.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her softly once more.

"Let me look at you." He said.

"W-what?"

"Let me look at you." He said slowly as he took the clothes from her hands and dropped them at his feet.

She looked scared as she stood before him, but she did not turn away.

"This is what I want," he said to her. "This is the body I want to see, the woman I want to love. Any other was a mistake. You have nothing to be afraid of. Nothing."

And with that, Erik went to her, kissing her eagerly. Christine responded to him, gripping his shoulders, his back, anything to hold onto him.

"Take me." She whispered. Erik did not need any more persuasion than that.

He stripped her of her remaining clothing as she stood before him and drank in the sight of her naked body. Christine's eyes were now red pools of desire, her fear fueling her need for him. Erik's own need was growing as well. He picked her up and lay her on the bed once more. He removed the rest of his own clothing and began kissing his way back to her. Tenderly, his lips grazed her entire body, from her small ankles, all the way up to her collarbone. Christine's quiet whimpers were the only other sound besides his own rapidly pounding heartbeat as she began to move against him, begging for him to complete her.

Erik answered her silent request.

He looked into her eyes as he moved between her, and felt her deliciously sink her nails into his skin as he slid inside of her.

"Erik." She said his name over and over again, her words meeting every wave of her desire. Erik, having waited too long for this moment with her, felt himself fading fast, especially at hearing his name come so heated from her lips. He began to move faster with her, Christine's hips meeting his at every thrust.

Erik felt the moment upon him and pulled Christine up so that she straddled him as they sat up. They both cried out as they met their peak as one, breathing heavily as they came down from their moment of ecstasy.

They both lay back down together, Christine curled into the crook of his arm, her cheek resting on his chest. She listened to the beat of Erik's heart as she lay there, her own heart beating in time with his. Basking in the glow of him, Christine couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips.

"Incredible." She sighed.

"Yes you are." He said.

* * *

End Notes: Hope you all liked this chapter...HAWT but not too hot ;) You can't have it all at once, now can you?? Let me know what you think, please! As a nervous Christine would say, "R-R-Review!" :P


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